Metromini driver foils daytime robbery
JP/3/Robbery
Metromini driver foils daytime robbery
JAKARTA (JP): A driver of Metromini minibus plying the Pulo Gadung--Pulau Gebang route foiled a robbery by five thugs aboard his bus by swerving it towards a police station yesterday morning.
"We really appreciate the bravery that he (the driver) displayed," said Maj. Tjokorde Suyasa, chief of the Cakung police, yesterday.
Tjokorde said the robbery, the second affecting minibus in a week, happened at around 11.30 a.m. It happened on the Metromini minibus driven by Suranto, 30, a resident of Kampung Bojong Rangkong, Pulau Gebang subdistrict, Cakung district, East Jakarta.
As the bus approached the Cakung toll road gate en route to Pulau Gebang, the five criminals, which sat among the 25 passengers, rose to commandeer the bus.
"Nobody move. Give up all your belongings," the five men shouted at the bus passengers, as quoted by Tjokorde.
While some criminals kept their hands at their waists, as if to show that they had sharp weapons tucked away there, the others started to frisk all passengers.
"It's not known yet if the criminals actually had weapons or if they were just bluffing," said Tjokorde.
After driving a bit further, Suranto quickly swerved the bus to the Cakung police station and jumped off, shouting for help.
The criminals tried to run away but police managed to capture one of them. He was identified as Endang Suriana, 22, a jobless East Jakarta resident.
Desperate
"We already know the identities of the other suspects from him (Endang)," said Tjokorde.
According to Tjokorde, only one passenger, named Anto Supriyanto, a student of a vocational highschool, claimed to have been robbed of Rp 5,000 (US$2.3) by the gang.
Yesterday's robbery appeared to be a desperate venture since it was pulled off during daylight hours while the military was running the large-scale, anti-crime Operation Cleansing involving 16,700 personnel. The operation has been in effect since Tuesday.
Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, spokesman for the city police, said yesterday that a recent survey conducted by the national police headquarters showed that the East Jakarta was the region with the highest crime rate nationwide.
On Tuesday morning a public bus robbery had also took place in the mayoralty.
Eight criminals hijacked a Kopaja minibus which was leaving from the Kampung Rambutan terminal at around 4.30 am and made off with 64 grams of gold jewelry and Rp 500,000 ($233.9) in cash which they took from the passengers. The bus was on its way to Tanah Abang.
One of the passengers was reportedly wounded while protecting his property.
The East Jakarta police however nabbed three of the thugs on the following day. (jsk)