Crooks impersonate soldiers, steal van

Crooks impersonate soldiers, steal van

JAKARTA (JP): Five men, three of them wearing military uniforms, stole a motorist's vehicle by pretending to conduct a morning raid on a street in East Jakarta on Thursday.

Armed with a machete, the five men, who are still at large, stole the 30-year-old victim's Kijang van after dumping the man in a nearby housing complex.

The victim, E. Sitompul, told police that he was driving alone on Jl. Sawah Besar at 5 a.m. when the criminals blocked his way.

"The suspects told the victim that they were on duty examining the identification cards of motorists. Therefore, he was asked to get out of the car and show his ID," Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said.

When Sitompul refused to exit his vehicle, one of the criminals pulled out a machete and held it to the victim's throat.

"The criminals then got into the car and took over the steering wheel," the officer said.

A few minutes later, Sitompul was dumped in the Pondok Kelapa Indah housing complex.

Lubis speculated that the criminals were taking advantage of the recent police raids against suspected criminals at such locations as bus terminals and entertainment spots. During these raids, the police check identification cards, arresting those who can not produce their ID.

The military uniforms used by the criminals can be easily purchased at many stores in the city, he added.

Lubis said the police would investigate the case and arrest the criminals.

In a similar case three days earlier, another man had his Kijang van stolen after being stopped by five men on Jl. Tubagus Angke. (emf)