Motorcyclists make off with Rp 200 million

Motorcyclists make off with Rp 200 million

JAKARTA (JP): Two men on a motorcycle stole Rp 200 million (US$87,900) yesterday from a teacher who had just left a bank in West Jakarta.

The midday robbery took place on Jl. Kyai Tapa in Grogol when Mujari, the 55-year-old teacher, got out of his car to check if he had a flat tire.

Soon after getting out, two men riding a motorbike stopped next to his car. One got off and stole the bag of money from Mujari's car.

Mujari was in a Kijang van with his driver and a relative.

Two eyewitnesses who were on a motorbike near the scene did not chase the thieves, said West Jakarta police chief Lt.Col. Hari Pribadi.

"The criminals disappeared on Jl. Semeru," he said, adding that the robbers had probably been watching Mujari since he left Bank Buana Indonesia in Harmoni, Central Jakarta.

Mujari told police that the money was going to be used to pay off his 4,000-square-meter plot of land in Tanah Tinggi, Semanan, also in West Jakarta.

"We believe that it was a plotted and well-arranged robbery," Hari told The Jakarta Post.

He was optimistic that the police would soon arrest the suspects. "We have identified the motorbike used."

Eyewitnesses, who asked to remain anonymous, said that one of the robbers had curly hair and light-colored skin.

The other one, who was waiting with the bike wearing a gray jacket, could not be identified because of his red and white helmet.

All city police units have been asked to keep an eye out for the suspects, said Hari

He added that similar robberies occur regularly in and around the city. While the tactics may vary, he said the thieves generally deflate the tires with nails while the cars are stopped at a traffic light.

The suspects, he said, are usually well informed about the owner, the amount of cash to be transported, the bank and the route, which they usually determine through a contact person close to the target. (bsr/05)