Armed robbers at Kota Wisata

BOGOR: Seven men broke into a house in Bogor regency, tied the terrified family up and forced them at gunpoint to hand over cash and gold worth Rp 400 million early Monday morning.

The victim, Berlinton Siahaan, 39, said the robbers, armed with a pistol, sickles and other traditional weapons, broke into his house in the Kota Wisata luxury housing estate in Gunung Putri district about 3 a.m.

The bandits then found the family - Siahaan, his wife and children - asleep and tied them up with electric wire.

Siahaan was forced at gunpoint to open a safe containing two kilograms of jewelry and other valuables, including four watches and two cellular phones, as well as Rp 1 million cash, US$1,300, S$500 and 1,000 yen.

The robbers then locked the family in a room and fled.

The victims suffered losses of about Rp 400 million.

Siahaan's wife, Evi Nalom M. Simorangkir, said she was awoken by a noise, but thought it was her house maid.

She realized she was being robbed when she felt a sickle around her neck and saw another man threatening her with an axe. --JP