New armed robbery adds to crime spate

New armed robbery adds to crime spate

JAKARTA (JP): The city's recent rash of violent crime
continued in the early morning hours yesterday when a group of
armed robbers broke into the house of a diamond jeweler.

Seven men, armed with guns and sharp weapons, broke into the
house of Sobirin Tanjung, alias Herlina, who police identified as
a transvestite, on Jl. Subur Ujung No. 4 at Menteng Atas, South
Jakarta.

The head of the South Jakarta Police detective unit, Maj.
Rycko Almeza Daniel, said the robbers made away with Rp 77
million (US$5,310) in cash plus seven diamond bracelets and a 310
gram gold bracelet.

One of the robbers reportedly shot a round into the air before
the group sped away in a dark Kijang van.

"The victim received slash wounds to his right hand and back,"
Rycko said.

Sobirin, 50, was alone in the house at the time of the
incident. He is still being treated at Cipto Mangunkusumo General
Hospital.

"(Sobirin) was badly rattled by the robbery because the
robbers took much of his working capital and assets," Rycko said.

A preliminary police investigation concluded that the group
broke into the house at 2:10 a.m. after cutting the house gate's
padlock.

"The victim apparently jumped in surprise and immediately
screamed 'Robbers! Robbers!' when he saw the strangers breaking
into his house," Rycko said.

The robbers quickly gagged Sobirin and then gave the host a
grim lesson by injuring his back, the officer said.

Police have found a bullet and a casing at the scene and have
questioned eight witnesses.

"Judging from the cartridge case and the bullet found, the gun
must be an FN type," Rycko said.

The robbery brings the number of similar crimes in the capital
to six in the last two weeks. Losses from the incidents run in
the hundreds of millions of rupiah.

The latest of these cases was the robbery at a house in Jati
Padang, also in South Jakarta, on Saturday morning in which an
armed group of five men took the family's Kijang van and several
electronic items after slashing one of the victims with a
machete.

Rycko said the police had found evidence that recently
released ex-convicts were behind the series of robberies.

"We came up with the possibility after speaking with at least
five convicted armed robbers still serving at Cipinang Prison,"
he said. (bsr/edt)