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Two arrested for reportedly stealing bolts, plates from bridge to buy drugs, play online games
Two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing important components of a bridge in Pekanbaru, Riau, and selling them to a scrap metal trader to buy crystal meth and play online games at an internet cafe.
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Siak IV Bridge (Tribunnews.com/Theorizky )
R
iau Police General Crime division have arrested two men allegedly stole dozens of bolts and metal plates from Siak IV Bridge in Pekanbaru, Riau, an official said on Wednesday.
Previously, the missing bolts and metal plates on the bridge that connected Senapelan and Rumbai Pesisir districts in Pekanbaru have stirred a ruckus among the locals last April. The Riau administration even had to close down the bridge for a while and reported the issue to the police, who immediately formed a team to investigate the culprits.
The Head of Crime and Violence Unit in Riau Police General Crime Department Comr. Julius Sitanggang said that the police manage to arrest the suspects. Both of them are identified as Rumbai Pesisir residents and lived nearby the bridge.
“We managed to arrest them in their hiding place last Thursday,” Julius said on Wednesday.
The suspects, identified as Denny, 26, and Rangga, 18, are allegedly selling the bolts and metal plates to used metal collector in Rumbai District. Both men sold the metal plates for Rp 125,000 (US$ 8.91) even though their actions caused at least Rp 483.68 billion (US$ 34.4 million) of financial losses. Denny and Rangga are reportedly using the money to buy meth and playing online games in internet cafe.
“The suspects said that there are two people who are also involved in the screws thievery. We already included them on our most-wanted [DPO] list,” Julian said, adding that the police are currently tracking them down.
Julian also explained that the stolen metals are important to support the bridge.
“The [metal] plates affected the bridge resistance and quality. For example, a bridge that is supposed to last for 10 years can last shorter than that if the important parts are stolen,” Julian said.
Deny and Rangga will be charged with Article 363 in Criminal Code on thievery and subjected to seven years imprisonment. The police are still developing this case.(dpk)
