TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Depok City Police officers arrested a group of armed men who used sharp weapons to rob grocery stores in Depok and surrounding areas. The city Metro Police Chief, Adj. Sr. Comr. Azis Andriansyah, said seven men, two of which are 18-year-olds, were arrested along with evidence of their loots and various sharp weapons.

"We captured them at a rented house in Bojonggede area receiving residents' reports," Azis told reporters on Tuesday, December 3.

The seven suspects Suhandi Hermawan (21); Erik Wahyudi (31); Ilham Zuandri (23); Wahyu Supriyanto (21); Rahmat Dwi (22); AS (18), and RD (18).

Azis said the robbers often looted grocery stores as well as mugging residents at dawn, forcibly taking their valuables.

“We are after one more person, whom we suspect to be the mastermind of this group," he said.

Azis said that based on the suspects' confessions, they had robbed more than 30 locations within one month.

"They said they could commit their crimes in up to seven locations in one night; mugging, extorting and robbing," Azis said.

The robbers said they committed their crime between 1:00 to 3:30 am. "They rode motorcycles and convoyed, around 10 of them, while carrying sharp weapons," Azis said.

These men are now facing up to nine years in prison.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra (Contributor)