Police foil train hijacking attempt

Two days ahead of the Idul Fitri festivity this year, the Indonesian public was shocked by news of the hijacking of a train that had left Malang for Jakarta on Saturday (Aug 27) morning.

Vice Chief of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Brig Gen Suhardi Alius said a Gajayana train was hijacked by three unidentified men who illegally entered the train driver`s compartment and forced him to take the train to Gambir station, Central Jakarta.

He said the three men had illegally entered the locomotive driver`s room and ordered him to take the train to Gambir station, Jakarta, without stopping. The driver complied and sent a request to the railway operator to open all lines for the train to go straight to Gambir station.

He said due to busy activity at Gambir station, railway operator order the machinist to direct the train to Senen station. "Once the train had entered Senen station, the driver pulled the emergency brake while police personnel acted fast and captured the hijackers," he said.

According to the police`s investigation, one among the three hijackers was identified as a member of the Indonesian Navy`s Marine Corps.

Navy spokesman Commodore Untung Surapati told ANTARA after the incident that the hijacker was identified as First Sergeant Darso.

"Darso is a marine working at the Main Naval Base (Lantamal) III," Untung said, adding that based on information he had received, Darso and three other civilians hijacked the Gajayana executive train when it passed through Cikampek railway station in West Java.

Untung said the marine and three other hijackers forced the driver of the ill-fated train to divert its route to Senen station instead of Gambir station in Jakarta.

The normal route of the Gajayana executive train from Malang, East Java, to Cikampek station actually passes Bekasi, Jatinegara, and ends at Gambir station but it was diverted to Senen station.

Untung said that for his act, Darso would face severe punishment.

The hijacking drama triggered by Darso and his friends ended at Senen railway station where they exchanged fire with policemen.

Meanwhile, Vice Chief of Jakarta Metropolitan Police Brig. Gen Suhardi Alius said police in cooperation with TNI personnel arrested the hijackers at Senen station on Saturday.

"The ill-fated Gajayana train was supposed to head to Gambir station from Jatinegara but it was hijacked and diverted to Senen where we finally arrested the hijackers," Suhardi said.

Suhardi explained that the train was hijacked after it had left Cirebon station for Jakarta.

He said three illegal passengers and the marine forced themselves into the locomotive and ordered the driver to take the train in the direction they wanted: Senen station.

"But soon after the train arrived at Senen station we immediately arrested the hijackers," Suhardi said, adding that the perpetrators were carrying firearms and sharp weapons during their action. 

Tighter Security

In response to the hijacking attempt, state-owned railway company PT KAI had decided to place police personnel in every train locomotive as of Saturday (Aug 27) until seven days after Idul Fitri.

Spokesman of state-owned railway company PT KAI, Sugeng Priyono, said previously security personnel were only placed in train cars but not in the locomotives. "Now we will intensify security by placing a police officer in every locomotive running on Jakarta-Central Java and Jakarta-East Java routes," he said.

He admitted the new policy would only be implemented during the Idul Fitri holidays. However, he added, if necessary, placing security personnel at every locomotive would be made a permanent measure. 

Sugeng called on people not to worry about the hijacking incident. He promised such attempt won`t be happening again because PT KAI had dispatched police personnel to secure every locomotives serving the Jakarta-Central Java and Jakarta-East Java routes.

He also said train service was not disturbed due to the Saturday incident

Source: ANTARA