Girls caught for 'robbing' taxi driver

Girls caught for 'robbing' taxi driver

BEKASI, West Java (JP): Two teenage girls were caught in a
rice field near a remote West Java village yesterday shortly
after they had allegedly robbed a taxi driver.

Marg, 16, and Sar, 18, who confessed to being involved in the
robbery, were hiding in a rice field when they were captured by
villagers, said Capt. Djoko Poerwanto, the chief detective of
Bekasi police precinct.

Ropi'i, 27, a President taxi driver told reporters three men
and two women stopped him outside a private hospital here on
Friday evening and asked him take them to a village in Babelan
district.

"When we reached a remote area near a rice field, one of the
male passengers told me to pull over, and another strangled me
with a metal chain," Ropi'i said.

Ropi'i, a resident of Pademangan Barat, North Jakarta, said
that before he fainted he saw two of the robbers, including Marg
who was seated next to him, take his wallet from his pocket.

"Then they fled into the rice field," said Ropi'i.

He regained consciousness when the driver of a ojek
(motorcycle taxi) asked him what had happened.

Ropi'i told police the robbers stole, Rp 40,000 (US$17)

"The three men involved in the robbery are still at large but
it's only a matter of time before we can nab them because we know
who they are," said Djoko.

Ropi'i is the fourth taxi driver robbed in the city and
surrounding areas last week.

On Thursday a President taxi driver was killed in his cab by
his passengers in Bekasi, while Mukasin, a Agung Citra Wibawa
taxi driver was stabbed in the back in South Jakarta by
passengers who stole Rp 25,000 from him.

Also on Thursday, a Sri Medali taxi driver was robbed by his
passengers in West Jakarta. He was stabbed several times in the
head before the criminals stole Rp 100,000 and the taxi radio.
(kod)