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)