Holidays celebrated by robbing others
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
During the Idul Fitri festivities, Muslims greeted each other, visited relatives and friends, and asked for forgiveness. But who could have expected that the "guests" at several places in Jakarta would be armed with guns and rob the hosts?
Siswanto Jaya, 65, a resident of Jl. Pisangan Lama II in Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta, was shocked as the seven men who came to his house on Sunday evening were actually a group of robbers.
"There were seven men who acted as if they wanted to greet him for the Idul Fitri, but all of a sudden, they pointed their guns at the host and then robbed him," said East Jakarta Police Chief Sr. Comr. Idrus Gassing.
The robbers took Siswanto's blue Kijang with registration number B-1026-AD from the garage, along with Rp 100 million in cash, two handphones and four gold rings before escaping, Idrus said.
During the two-day Muslim Idul Fitri festivities, police reported on Monday that at least five major armed robberies occurred in different parts of greater Jakarta.
The police report also stated that a group of five men robbed Gunawan Hartono on Jl. Penggilingan Baru, Harapan Baru, in North Bekasi, on Sunday morning.
The suspects threatened the host at gunpoint as they entered the house, and escaped in Gunawan's Toyota Kijang with registration No. B-8065-YO, four handphones, 30 grams of jewelry and Rp 257 million in cash.
Another group of five armed criminals also robbed Andreas Saroso in his house in Taman Kebon Jeruk Baru Blok A No. 22, Kebon Jeruk in West Jakarta.
They stole his brand new Isuzu Panther No. B-8588-RO, two watches and some jewelry.
Meanwhile, South Jakarta Detective Chief Comr. Merdisyam reported that two jewelry shops near the Jombang market in Ciputat, South Jakarta, were robbed by a group of bandits, who stole a total of 13 kilograms of gold, valued at approximately Rp one billion (about US$ 100,000).
"According to some witnesses, the criminals pointed their guns at nine people in the jewelry shop, including the security guards and then broke the locks and looted the jewelry in the show- cases," he was quoted as saying by Antara.
Police also reported that Rp 100 million in cash belonging to Saktiyono Putra, 33, was stolen from his home at Kav. DKI Blok E 9 in East Jakarta after the thieves broke the gate and the door while entering the house.