Armed robbery, crime see illegal arms sales soar

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Fifty-year-old Tina will never forget the horror of facing two armed robbers waiting in front of her house in Jatipulo, West Jakarta, when she and her son arrived home from the bank last February.

"They shot me in the thigh and got away with the Rp 50 million (US$5,617) that we had just withdrawn from the bank. I had to be treated at the hospital for weeks. It was so frightening and it seemed that there was nothing we could do," Tina told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The trauma of her ordeal keeps her from going outside.

Another woman, Ella, 40, a resident of Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta, witnessed a neighbor, a gasoline retailer, being robbed by seven men armed with long-barrel guns and a pistol.

"They took Rp 4 million from my neighbor. I could be next ... several people have been killed in a series of armed robberies in my neighborhood," she said.

"Where do they get the guns? Isn't it against the law to have a gun?" Ella wondered.

The Jakarta Police have revealed that robbery cases increased by 45.3 percent from 14,268 in 2003 to 20,734 in 2004. Of the figure, armed robberies in 2003 were less than 100 cases, while in 2004 the number jumped to 201 cases.

Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani acknowledged that criminals have become more and more sophisticated as they have "modified their methods, such as by using guns in their criminal activities".

According to National Police Headquarters data, 15,881 gun licenses have been issued to civilians and 10 to private companies because official dealers or suppliers are permitted to sell guns to civilians.

But what most worries people like Tina and Ella is the fact that at least 100,000 unlicensed guns were sold in Jakarta in 2004 alone.

"We estimate that around 100,000 unlicensed guns have been circulated in Jakarta. Most of these guns were smuggled in from abroad or are from the military or the police while others are homemade guns," said an officer at the police headquarters who asked for anonymity. He added that the guns could change hands easily for several million rupiah.

The officer revealed that unlicensed guns were usually used in robberies and other crimes.

The insecurity caused by the uncontrolled distribution of arms in the capital prompted a 35-year-old businessman to buy a revolver and bullets from the black market.

He carries the gun whenever he leaves home and feels better knowing he has it at hand.

"I got the number of a gun seller from a friend. I called up and arranged a meeting. I paid Rp 10 million for the gun. I've heard it costs at least Rp 50 million to obtain one legally.

"Jakarta is a very dangerous place, you know, and the gun is for protection," the man who lives in a housing complex in South Jakarta told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Armed robberies of bank customers in 2004

No. Location Incident Amount stolen

1. Cilandak Robbers aimed guns at victim Rp 178 million

2. Tanah Abang Victim was shot Rp 500 million

3. Pancoran Three men on motorcycles

shot victim's car to stop it Rp 14 million

4. Menteng Man on motorcycle aimed

gun at a victim outside bank Rp 14 million

5. Tangerang Two men on a motorcycle shot

victim outside the bank Rp 144 million

6. Duri Kosambi Four men on motorcycles

shot the victims Rp 57 million

7. Serpong Three men in a car pretend

to be officers on a police

operation Rp 56 million

8. Taman Palem Three men shot the victim Rp 78 million

Source: Jakarta Police