0 Cops nab 2 suspects in airport slay

Police have arrested two more suspects for the gruesome murder of a man whose bound and decomposing body was found in a car trunk at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Tuesday. A suspect identified as IW allegedly killed the victim, Imam Assyafi’i, who the police previously had identified as Iman A. Safei, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto told reporters on Thursday. IW allegedly sold items he stole from Imam to the second suspect, AQ. 

The men were arrested in Pondok Bambu, East Jakarta, on Wednesday. “IW strangled Imam to death with a cable, assisting TDA — the main player, who we have already arrested,” Rikwanto said. TDA was captured in Kuningan, West Java, less than 24 hours after Imam’s body was discovered. He was arrested with his wife, whom he told to accompany him to Kuningan to renew their residential permit. Jakarta Police violent crimes unit chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Helmy Santika said that officers shot IW in the leg as he attempted to escape arrest. 

Describing detectives’ theory of the crime, Helmy said that TDA was driving a car with Imam in the front passenger’s seat. IW, who was sitting in back, used a cable to strangle Imam, who kicked the dashboard in an attempt to free himself before TDA stopped the car and bound his feet. Imam also received a phone call from an employee at his computer repair shop in West Jakarta as he was being strangled. “Imam pressed the answer button without the suspects noticing,” Helmy said. 

“The workers heard Imam asking for help and immediately recorded the phone call.” Police used the recording to track down the perpetrators along with CCTV images from the airport. The men left Imam’s body in the airport parking lot, returning to Mangga Dua, North Jakarta, by taxi. TDA and IW then withdrew Rp 10 million (US$1,027) using Imam’s ATM card and bought several million rupiah worth of jewelry. Helmy said that the men had hatched their murder scheme in February, when Imam reportedly declined to lend TDA money. TDA and IW were charged with premeditated murder and face the death penalty if convicted, while AQ, who bought a BlackBerry phone taken from Imam, faces four years’ imprisonment. — JP/fzm

source : the jakarta post