Man holds up bus, escapes with Rp 3m

BOGOR (JP): A bus plying the Jakarta-Banjar route with 11 passengers on board was held up by an unidentified armed robber in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The robber stole valuable items from the travelers worth a total of Rp 3 million.

The Batara bus had left the Kampung Rambutan terminal in East Jakarta about 3 a.m. when half an hour later a tall man at the back of the bus rushed to the front and pointed a gun at Rohmat, the bus driver.

"I was so nervous that I did not stop the bus as he asked me to. He was angry and sprayed bullets at the windscreen," Rohmat said.

The robber even threatened to kill him, he added.

Rohmat then decided to pull over in an area near Sentul, off the Jagorawi toll road.

The man then told the driver's assistant to collect all the valuable belongings of the passengers before making away with the stolen goods, the driver said.

"Before leaving, the man fired once at the rear of the bus," Rohmat recalled.

Chief of Bogor Police for Operations and Control Lt. Col. Iskandar confirmed the incident, saying it brought to three the number of similar cases which had taken place in his area this month.

The two previous bus robberies took place on Dec. 6 in the Gunung Putri area, not far from Tuesday's scene, and on Dec. 16 at a rest area for motorists using the Jagorawi toll road, also in Sentul.

All three robberies had similar modus operandi, with a single man pretending to be a passenger before holding up a bus with a firearm.

"We've organized teams to apprehend the culprits," Iskandar said on Tuesday.

In a move to maintain order and security, Bogor Police, beginning this week, are set to deploy 18 plainclothes officers to crime-prone areas during the Christmas and Idul Fitri holidays.

The officers, said to be skilled in martial arts, will be deployed in six teams to areas prone to criminal activity, notably in the Jonggol-Cariu-Cianjur area, bus terminals, markets and business centers.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Bogor Police chief Col. Edi Darnadi revealed that besides areas prone to crime, there were 36 spots liable to heavy traffic congestion in Bogor during the upcoming peak holiday season of Christmas, New Year's Eve and Idul Fitri.

They are located along the Ciawi-Puncak-Cianjur routes.

"Everyday there will be around 1,200 to 1,500 vehicles passing the routes per hour," Edi said.

The traffic density in the roads connecting Jakarta, Bogor, Cianjur and Bandung will be extremely high during this "triple" holiday season.

"There is also a possibility of total traffic congestion.

"Therefore, we'll dispatch 2,000 personnel to manage the routes. There will be a joint task force from the civilian militias, security guards, military police and military personnel to run the annual operation," he explained.

Several alternatives routes also have been set; among them are the 140 kilometer Jakarta-Parung-Cibinong-Cieteurep-Gunung Putri -Cileungsi-Jonggol-Cariu-Cikalong-Cianjur route, the 120 kilometer Jakarta-Cibinong-Cieteureup-Bogor route and the 110 kilometer Cibubur toll road-Jonggol-Cariu-Bogor route.

Diversions also can be made through the 180 kilometer Jakarta- Sukabumi-Cianjur route and the 120 kilometer Jakarta-Ciawi-Puncak route.

Edi also warned travelers to be on alert when they have to pass through areas prone to accidents.

"There are 24 spots here which are prone to accidents. The most dangerous is the Ciawi-Cipayung-Puncak stretch," he said. (21/edt)