Extortion outside university

Extortion outside university

From Warta Kota

My younger brother was a victim of extortion in mid-December 1999. A gang of youths held him up in front of the Indonesian Christian University (UKI) at Cawang, East Jakarta. It happened in broad daylight when he was waiting at a bus stop.

It all started with two youths approaching him, talking to him and introducing themselves. Then two other young men arrived at the bus stop, and the foursome sprung into action. One of them produced a belati (broad-bladed knife) and forced my brother to hand over his money. The gang also demanded my brother's ATM card and he could not resist their threats. He lost most of his money in the automatic teller machine.

All that happened in a busy area but the gang operated quietly. They seemed to be clever in picking prospective victims, i.e. those who would probably not put up resistance. Usually they choose a woman who is alone or a person who appears to have arrived from out of town.

People say extortion often occurs in the area, and the criminals use more or less the same method. They make inquiries, introduce themselves and ask the victim's identity. The youths often roam the area, idling their time at wayside eateries.

People should be on the alert when they waiting for public transportation in front of the UKI campus.

ATIEK

Cimanggis, West Java