JAKARTA (JP): Police are investigating a car collision which ended in the theft of an expensive watch, Rp 800,000 in cash and other valuables late last week.

City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar said on Saturday that five unidentified men in a Kijang van rammed a sedan, driven by Hartono Gunawan in Cipanas, West Java, on Friday.

After the accident, the men offered to repair Hartono's car rather than calling the police to handle the accident.

"Hartono told us the robbers said that they were sorry about hitting his car and offered a compromise by repairing the sedan," Latief said.

Hartono, 35, said he was not suspicious of the offer because it is usual for motorists whose vehicles are involved in traffic accidents to find an amiable solution among themselves.

He told the police that one of the men offered to drive the damaged sedan to Jakarta, while the four others took him in the van from Cipanas to Jl. Cempaka Putih Tengah Raya, Central Jakarta, where they promised to have the sedan repaired at a workshop they knew of.

After they all arrived at the Cempaka Putih workshop in the evening and found that it was closed, one of the men drew a knife on Hartono and demanded that he give them all of his valuables.

The men threatened to kill him if he did not hand over his two suitcases, which contained a passport, a flight ticket, a bunch of traveler's checks, a wristwatch and Rp 800,000 cash (approximately US$400).

Hartono was so terrified he let the men take his things, which he said were worth millions of rupiahs all together.

After taking Hartono's valuables, the robbers sped off in their van and abandoned the sedan and Hartono along the roadside in Cempaka Putih.

Hartono then reported the theft to the police.

Latief said the police had checked out the license plate number for the van, which Hartono reported as B-2309-NT, and found that it was a fake one.

"It's obvious that the thieves must have followed the victim long before the robbery took place," Latief said. (09)