inp.polri.go.id - Surabaya. A joint team from the Sidoarjo and Tulungagung Sub-regional Police ranks, as well as the East Java Regional Police's General Criminal Investigation Directorate shot dead two perpetrators who specialized in breaking into shops and cigarette distributors on the Sidoarjo Toll Road, early Tuesday (6/3/2025) morning.

"The action was taken after the perpetrators tried to escape and endangered our officers' lives during the pursuit," said Head of the Violent Crimes Sub-Directorate of the East Java Regional Police, Superintendent Arbaridi Jumhur in Surabaya.

Arbaridi Jumhur explained that the case uncovering was the result of case investigation development on a number of crime scenes (TKP) in the Gresik, Sidoarjo, Tulungagung, Malang, and Situbondo areas.

"Almost all of the shops in East Java was broken into. They are a group from Central Java who are indeed specialists in breaking into shops and cigarette distributors," said Jumhur.

This disclosure began with information that the group of perpetrators entered East Java after previously operating in Bali. The joint team then carried out a pursuit to the Malang-Sidoarjo toll road.

On the Kejapanan toll road, the thieves were stopped by PJR officers and the joint Criminal Investigation Team, but they tried to escape by crashing into officers' vehicles and driving at high speed.

Two perpetrators, with the initials A and E, died in the incident. One perpetrator with the initials N was successfully arrested and is now being held at the East Java Regional Police. Meanwhile, another perpetrator with the initials J is still at large after fleeing towards the Kahuripan settlement.

"There are a total of four perpetrators, all residents of Magelang, Central Java, with an age range of 30 to 35 years. We are still combing the area around the settlement to catch the perpetrators who fled," said Jumhur.

From the results of the initial investigation, it was discovered that the perpetrators who were arrested were also involved in a robbery case or criminal act 365 of the Criminal Code.

The police also confirmed that this group is different from the shop burglar network that was previously caught in Probolinggo.

The police are still conducting further developments related to the network and modus operandi of the gang.

(ad/inp/pr/rs)