Daylight robbery
News about robberies of bank clients in Jakarta and other big cities in the country has now become a staple diet for the local media, second only to Ecstasy when it comes to crime stories. What is disturbing about these daylight robberies is not the huge sums of money involved, but the increasing use of violence, at times involving firearms. As mentioned in many reports, the robbers showed no hesitation in firing their guns to scare off their victims, paralyze them into inaction, or even kill them.
What is even more disturbing is that the police and the military appear to be helpless to stop these robberies. These robberies have been taking place at an even greater frequency, in spite of a massive crackdown against illegal firearms conducted by the Jakarta Military Command.
Only in one known recent incident did the police gun down the robbers. This was the robbery of a woman who had just withdrawn Rp 1 million in cash on Nov. 18 from a Surabaya branch of Bank Danamon. Although there was violence, this was a petty robbery.
The bigger robberies that have occurred in and around Jakarta remain unsolved. Unfolding one or two of these mysteries could go a long way toward answering such questions as to the identity of the robbers, where they obtained the guns from, and whether there are powerful syndicates behind them. In the fatal robbery on the Jagorawi toll road last month, one suspected accomplice said that a military officer was involved, but we have not heard anything since, because the suspect died while in police custody.
The only thing the public knows is that this is now a trend, that it is becoming more violent, and that robbers are indiscriminate about their victims. It could happen to anyone.
The modus operandi in most cases indicates a certain pattern. Each victim was followed from the moment they left the bank. Three or four people were involved. In most cases, they used motorbikes, which are ideal for a quick getaway in heavy traffic.
Where and when the robbers would strike are more difficult to determine. In one incident, at the Bank Ekspor-Impor Indonesia branch near the U.S. Embassy, the robbers struck in the parking lot. In another, they followed the victims to their office at the Ministry of Information. In two other robberies, they followed the victims home or ambushed the victims on the toll road.
The little knowledge we have is hardly comforting. These may appear to be simple cases, but the way unsolved robberies keep piling up make them look as complex as solving white-collar crimes.
To their credit, the police have encouraged anyone intending to make huge cash withdrawals to ask for police escorts. This they willingly provide free of charge. It is better to deal with the police before, rather than after a robbery. But the fact that some people are reluctant to take up the offer raises the perennial question about public trust of our police force.
Many banks have taken the initiative of providing their own escort services for clients carrying huge sums of money. Some are also in close touch with the nearest police precincts, should a customer wish for a police escort.
Ultimately however, it is the individual who has to take the necessary precautions. No amount of protection will be enough if robbers feel that the effort is worth the risks. And, as some of them have shown, they will resort to violence if they have to.
What is puzzling about the news reports on robberies is that at a time when banking services are expanding rapidly, allowing cashless transfers, there are still many people who prefer or insist on conducting their transactions in cash, particularly in huge sums. In an era of computerized transfers and credit cards, it almost defies logic. The best way to avoid being robbed is by not giving robbers the pretext in the first place. In a cashless society, which ours is becoming, surely this should not be difficult to do.