Malaysian Drug Suspect Killed While Trying to Escape Custody
Jakarta. A foreign national drug dealer, who had established networks in several Indonesian prisons, was shot dead when trying to escape arrest by taking the police’s firearm during a trip to reveal another drug network in Bekasi, West Java, on Friday (19/08).
“The suspect is a Malaysian national named Lew Keng Wah, who died after trying to take the firearm of an officer in a car. One shot had gone through the front window. The other police officer tried to help in securing the suspect,” National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said via text message in Jakarta, Saturday (20/08).
Boy added that an Indonesian identified as Sardianto, alias Yangke, and Lew Keng Wah were arrested in the parking lot of Mall of Indonesia, North Jakarta, on Friday.
Lew is well-known to police as an alleged controller of distribution from Malaysia into Indonesia and has been hunted for some time.
Police seized 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, three cellphones, a slingbag, a passport and a Honda City car with the license number of H 7369 AM.
Both suspects are believed to have been part of an Aceh-based syndicate with networks within prisons, including East Jakarta's Salemba Prison, Bekasi's Bulak Kapal Prison and Gunung Sindur Prison in West Java.
Lew Keng was shot while moving from Bekasi to meet with another suspected network.
“On the way, Lew Keng asked permission [to use the toilet]. However, he tried to escape by taking the officer’s firearm. The fight ended when another officer shot him in the chest,” Boy said.
The suspect was taken in critical condition to Sukanto Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, but died on the way.
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