Armed robbers strike again

JAKARTA (JP): Armed thieves stole gold from a jewelry shop in Central Jakarta Saturday and cash and goods from a house in South Jakarta Sunday.

In the first incident four thieves fired four shots into a display counter of the "Queen" gold shop on Jl. Paseban Raya no. 6 at about 12:30 p.m., police said. They escaped with two kilograms of gold worth about Rp 26 million.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang said the thieves posed as shoppers as they entered the shop owned by 40- year-old Liaw Kie Chan.

Police sources said bullets of an FN45-type revolver were found at the scene.

On Saturday five men, one armed with a pistol, broke into a South Jakarta house, tied up the owner and stole a hand phone, 100-grams of gold jewelry, a 29-inch television, and Rp 3 million (US$1,250).

A South Jakarta Police precinct sergeant said the burglars drove a Suzuki minivan to the house on Jl. Kemuning in Pasar Minggu at about 5:30 a.m.

"Four jumped the fence and broke down the door while the other waited in the minivan," he said.

Imam Mawardi, 43, went to investigate a noise and one of the burglars threatened him with pistol while another bound his hands with a tie before they escaped with the goods, the officer said.

Meanwhile, Depok Police are still hunting for six men who stole goods, 50-grams of gold jewelry and Rp 850,00 from a shop on Jl. Swadaya, in Cimanggis, Bogor, at about 2.30 a.m. Thursday.

One was armed and they drove a Kijang van.

The shop owner, Nazar Tanjung, 44, saw the men jumping the fence and shouted for help.

One of the burglars fired four times at Nazar and residents who tried to help. The bullets hit the shop's wall.

"I will kill you if you try to fight us," the man said.

One threatened Nazar's wife Watri Wati with a sickle and grabbed her gold necklace. (jun/cst)