Motorcycle theft high, mostly in quiet areas

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Motorcycle theft in Greater Jakarta is on the rise with Jakarta Police reporting 47 cases in the first quarter of the year.

The highest figure was last month with 16 motorcycles taken by force, followed by 13 cases in January, 11 cases in February and seven this month, as of April 20.

In 32 of the 47 cases, the robbers reportedly used firearms to threaten motorcyclists to hand over their vehicles. In the remaining 15 cases, the robbers carried sickles or daggers.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo had earlier said that such crimes usually took place in areas not frequently patrolled by police officers.

"If police are frequently patrolling in the area, the criminals will select another area as their target," he said,

Quiet streets or roads far from residential areas are also the favored locations.

Jakarta Police data revealed that Tambora district in North Jakarta had recorded the highest incidence of motorcycle theft, followed by Duren Sawit district in East Jakarta.

An investigation revealed that the robbers generally worked in a group of four riding two motorcycles. One of the motorcycles was supposed to corner the targeted motorcyclist while another approached and later one of the riders pointed the gun or the sharp weapon at the victims' neck or head.

In some cases, the robbers beat the victims who were later found by witnesses or the police lying helplessly on the street with serious injuries.

However, there were no fatalities reported.

Police data shows that the robbers favored Japanese motorcycles. The robbers could identify the new ones from the old ones by the motorcycle headlights.

Their favorite brands are Honda, particularly the Supra model, Yamaha and Suzuki. The three producers have issued entry level motorcycles so that the people can afford to buy one.