3 bogus detectives rob bus passengers

JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta Police have arrested three men who allegedly pretended to be detectives and stole Rp 30,000 (US$8.60) from a bus passenger.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday that the suspects -- Henry, 19, Edi Setiawan, 20, and Bambang Nugroho, 17 -- boarded a Metro mini on Jl. Ciledug Raya, Kebayoran Lama, about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

"The three then introduced themselves as detectives to the bus passengers and said they were checking passengers' identification cards," he said.

Like other passengers, Ashari Saleh Irawan handed over his wallet to the "officers" so they could check his identity, Aritonang said.

Irawan realized that he had been robbed a few minutes after the three suspects had left the bus, he said.

He got off the bus and reported the crime to a nearby police station. Police later arrest the three men.

A preliminary investigations has revealed that the suspects were traders, Aritonang said.

It remains unclear whether money was stolen from other passengers. (jun)