Indonesian police have arrested two men in connection with the suspected murder of an 80-year-old Singaporean man, whose body was discovered wrapped and encased in cement in one of the largest rivers of the country.
The body was found on February 20 in the Citanduy River in Cilacap, a coastal town in Central Java located more than 380km from Jakarta, where the victim had been living. The local police confirmed the arrests on March 25, adding that investigations are ongoing as they continue to track down a third suspect believed to have orchestrated the killing.
Cilacap police chief Budi Adhy Buono said that the case is suspected to have stemmed from a love triangle involving the elderly victim, a woman, and the alleged mastermind, who remains at large. The authorities believe jealousy may have been a key motive behind the crime.
The victim had earlier been reported missing in Jakarta's Tanah Abang district, though police did not disclose the exact date of the report. Local media reports indicate that he was last seen on February 16, driving a blue car towards Bogor, south of the capital.
Investigations revealed that the man was killed on the same day he went missing, at around 7.30 pm, inside a rented house in Sukabumi, West Java. According to police, he had travelled there seeking alternative treatment for an illness.
An autopsy later determined that the cause of death was a fatal blow to the back of his neck with a bamboo pole. After confirming he had died, the suspects allegedly wrapped the body in plastic and a bedsheet before attempting to conceal the crime by encasing it in concrete and dumping it into the river.
The police were able to confirm the victim's identity through coordination with the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police.
Authorities said that the two arrested men were allegedly recruited by the suspected mastermind to carry out the premeditated killing. The case is currently being handled by police in Sukabumi, where the murder is believed to have taken place.
If convicted, the suspects could face the death penalty under Indonesian law.
The police have reiterated that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspect, as they continue to piece together the full circumstances behind the killing.
