Dispensary robbers indentified

Dispensary robbers indentified

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta police are searching a group of six robbers armed with a gun who committed a pre-dawn burglary at a building designated as a clinic and dispensary yesterday morning.

"The identities of all of the members are already known," Lt. Col. SY Wenas, chief of the South Jakarta police, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

According to Wenas, the group in a Suzuki Carry van carried out their action at around 2:55 a.m. yesterday at the Esa Husada 24-hour clinic and dispensary building, which is not yet operational, on Jl. Raya Pondok Cabe, Pamulang.

The two security guards hired by the owner were paralyzed by the group who tied them up with a rope, said Wenas.

The security guards told police investigators that one of the group's members had a gun.

"We're not sure whether the gun was real," said Wenas, who pledged to cripple the activities of street criminals and bandits in South Jakarta, which is also home to many foreigners.

"We've assigned a number of our detectives to discovering the whereabouts of the group members before they commit another crime," he said.

Wenas strongly believed that the fugitives are still in town.

The group left the scene after taking inexpensive items available at the building such as a wall clock, a 20-inch television set and small amount of cash.

According to Wenas, there were no valuable items available at the place as the owner has yet to open business in the building.

Based on the available police record, robberies with armed vehicle and weapons normally take place in the city's outskirts, such as Bekasi and Tangerang.

The pre-dawn robbery at the clinic in South Jakarta gave a strong indication that the local police as well as the public have to be alert.

"Please keep in mind that South Jakarta police don't intend to give criminals and bandits any chance to operate in this area," Wenas pledged. (bsr)