Pirate ring leader caught in Cirebon

Cirebon (ANTARA News) - Long sought and feared pirate of tankers, merchant vessels as well as fishing boats in the Malacca Strait Rusli bin Abdulgani alias Wa`di, alias Irwansyah (37), was eventually caught at his rented house in Majasem, Karya Mulya village, Cirebon city, on Sunday at 5 p.m West Indonesia Time (WIB).

When the police stormed and broke into the former GAM commander`s hiding place, he tried to resist arrest, but was paralyzed after the police shot him in his thigh.

The wounded pirate was then rushed to the Gunung Jati hospital in Cirebon, but at 8.30 p.m he was taken by ambulance to the Dr Sukamto police hospital in Kramat Jati, South Jakarta.

According to Adjunct Police Commissioner Setiawan who led the raid, the suspect had already been followed for three weeks before the police moved in and caught him.

"The suspect had attacked and looted many vessels in the Malacca Strait, and was on the police wanted list for the last three years," he said.

A member of the police squad who preferred to remain anonymous said that the suspect has an extensive network covering Medan and Aceh, with oil tankers, merchant velssels and fishing boats as target.

"The privates also used to collect `security fees` from ship operators so that their ships would be left alone," he said.

When at hospital, he told the police guarding him that he attacked and looted only fishing boats with the loot sent to the GAM. In his latest action he said he took away a telex machine and computer from his victims, and sold them in Medan.

He also told his police investigators he stayed in Cirebon for three months to rent a house as well as a Honda City car with license plate B 8837 FP from a rent-a-car company.

But judging from his fancy way of living, the police suspected he had bought the car with the money from the sale of his loots.