Mimika Police Arrest 5 Begal Perpetrators Resulting in Road Blockade

JAKARTA - The Mimika Regional Police (Polres), Central Papua, arrested five suspected perpetrators of violent theft or begal against DK victims who went viral on social media in Timika on Monday (20/7) morning.

Mimika Police Chief Alredo Rumbiak said the perpetrators of the violence were estimated to number seven people, but only five of them had been arrested.

Those arrested by the DJN were DJN, EK, DWL, JW, and YSK.

The chronology of the incident began on Sunday (19/7) evening at around 22.00 WIT, the victim together with his wife and child were around the Jalan Cendrawasih SP2 section, in front of the Timika Jaya Sub-district Office.

"The victim and his wife and child were approached by two unknown people using a motorcycle and took the victim's child's mobile phone and left immediately," said the Mimika Police Chief, as reported by ANTARA.

Seeing that, DK chased the perpetrators using his motorcycle.

Upon arrival at Jalan Cendrawasih in front of Hotel 66, the victim found the two perpetrators. However, suddenly the victim was beaten by about seven unknown people.

Not only did the perpetrators persecute the victim, they also took away the victim's bag and mobile phone, then fled.

As a result of the beating, the victim suffered injuries to the forehead, and cuts on the soles of his left foot.

The victim was then evacuated to Mimika Regional Hospital by the Mimika Police's pioneer picket officers.

Not accepting the incident, the victim's family had blocked off the Cenderawasih Timika Road around 22.54 WIT by burning old tires as well as cardboard and wood in the middle of the road.

"The action was the spontaneity of the victim's family to ask the police to immediately uncover and arrest the perpetrators," said the Mimika Police Chief.

The blockade of the road section was finally opened after the Mimika Police Chief together with the Head of Operations and the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Mimika Police arrived at the location to convince the victim's family that the police would immediately arrest and reveal the perpetrators.

Only two hours after the incident, five perpetrators were arrested.

"For the complete chronology and the motive for the action, we are still investigating and looking for evidence to find out the actual incident," he said.