Citizens arrest robbery suspects

JAKARTA (JP): Two people were apprehended by Prumpung residents in East Jakarta late Monday after they were caught red- handed robbing a passerby in the area, Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said.

The two, identified as Karman, 21, and Cahya, 41, regularly operated as transvestites from a park near the Rawa Bunga red- light district, Lubis said on Tuesday.

Alimin, 31, a resident of nearby Pisangan Baru, was stopped by the suspects for a "chat" at about 10:45 p.m.

Alimin, an employee of a private company, admitted he did not intend to stop at all, but when one of them asked him for a lighter, he obliged.

"As Alimin approached them, however, he was grabbed and dragged into nearby bushes and the transvestites extracted knives from their hand bags," Lubis said.

Allegedly threatened at knife point, Alimin handed over his wallet which contained Rp 315,000 (US$37).

When the thieves left the scene, Alim screamed for help.

"As the two suspects wore high heels, they could not run fast when nearby residents, alerted by Alimin's scream, chased them," Lubis said.

The transvestites suffered light bruises during the citizen's arrest and were taken to a nearby police station for questioning. (emf)