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)