Burglars stab victim with sickle

JAKARTA (JP): A resident of Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta was injured while trying to defend his belongings from five armed robbers who broke into his house in the early hours of yesterday morning.

South Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Satrya Hari Prasetya said the victim, Uus Mustafa Kanal, 48, was stabbed in his left arm with a sickle.

"Uus eventually gave up the struggle and handed over Rp 6 million in cash to the robbers, who then escaped in a Feroza jeep," Satrya explained.

The armed robbery took place at Uus' house on Jl. Kemuning Raya in Pasar Minggu at about 2 a.m. yesterday. The five-man gang gained entry to his house by smashing the front window, the officer said.

Uus and his wife Atiah, 35, screamed for help until threatened into silence by one of the gang who was carrying a sickle.

The robbery was the third of its kind in South Jakarta in the past three days and Satrya said the incidents may be linked.

He said a gang of four men had robbed a family in Jagakarsa on Thursday.

"They used a similar method and the same type of weapons," he added.

The four Jagakarsa robbers entered Monang P. Sihite's house in Tanjung Barat district through a window at about 3:45 a.m. on Thursday morning.

The robbers threatened Monang, his 16-year-old son Charles and the maid, Rasmini, with a sickle and then bound them together with phone cables, police said.

Monang handed over Rp 5.25 million in cash to the robbers.

Nearby residents who witnessed the incident said the gang sped off in a red Espass Van with license plate number B 2040 AB.

On Wednesday a group of 10 men armed with guns and sickles broke into the residence of a Japanese expatriate on Jl. Prapanca Raya.

The robbery took place at 11 p.m. on Wednesday while Matsushita, who works for PT Hakuriku United Forging Industries, was not at home.

Head of the South Jakarta Police Detectives Maj. Rycko Almeza Daniel said the 10 robbers barged into the house through the front door and threatened two maids, Kadir and Endang, with their weapons.

"They bound and gagged the two and shut them in the bathroom," he said.

The robbers left the scene with Rp 7 million in cash, four golf clubs, a camera, a 14 inch television set and a video camera.

Police believe the gang were assisted by one of the maids who has been missing since after the robbery.

The robbery was reported to the police at 4 a.m. -- two hours after the robbers sped away from the scene of the crime.

Police are still investigating all three cases. (edt)