City police search for exclusive watch thief
City police search for exclusive watch thief
JAKARTA (JP): City police are searching for an Indonesian man
of Chinese descent, identified as 32-year-old Marsono Marsiti, a
watch store attendant, for his alleged role in the theft of 50
expensive wristwatches worth over Rp 3 billion (US$1.35 million)
from a store in Ratu Plaza.
City Police spokesman Lt. Col Bambang Haryoko called on
citizens to immediately report to the police any information on
the whereabouts of the man, who was an employee of Sarida
International Watches. He said Marsono, who stole the watches on
Monday, left his wife alone at their house in Bekasi.
"So far we have not found any clues as to the hideout of
Marsono," Bambang said on Thursday.
Erwin, manager of the watch store located in the Ratu Plaza
shopping center in South Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post that he
has already asked Marsono's wife at the Wisma Asri housing
complex in Teluk Pucang, Bekasi, about the whereabouts of her
husband.
"She told me several times that she has no idea where her
husband is," said Erwin.
Based on Erwin's reports to the city police, Marsono, who had
worked at the store for about one-and-a-half years, removed the
wristwatches from the store under the approval of Erwin, saying
that a customer at a nearby bank wanted to see and buy the
watches.
It all started at around 3 p.m. on Monday when the store
received a phone call from someone, who Marsono called Joni.
Witnessed by a young female attendant, Rosdiana, Marsono then
informed Erwin that Joni wanted to purchase an exclusive watch
and see him along with several watches at his office somewhere
near the Panin Bank building office.
Marsono then left carrying around 50 of the store's most
expensive wristwatches, including makes by Rolex, Audemars Piguet
or AP, Brietling, Piaget, Patek Phillipe, Chopard, Baume &
Mercier and Vacheron Constantin.
"The lowest priced wristwatch is around Rp 10 million while
the highest priced is over Rp 1 billion," Erwin said.
Police sources believe that Marsono is working for a syndicate
dealing in similar kinds of wristwatches, which are stolen and
then sold to passengers on vessels where there are gambling
sites. (bsr)