New robbery technique

New robbery technique

JAKARTA (JP): Police have uncovered another new form of theft, in which victims are first "informed" about fictitious accidents involving their relatives.

Police arrested a young woman and her companion on Saturday for allegedly attempting to steal a 50 gram gold necklace from a female factory worker while traveling on a minibus on the Merak- Tomang highway, after lying to the victim about an accident.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko said Dani Daniar, 28, had called on Siti Maryamah at the factory in which she works in Balaraja, Tangerang, and told her, falsely, that her son had been involved in an accident in Jakarta.

On hearing this, Siti asked permission to be excused from work and got into Dani's Suzuki Carry minibus, which began the 40 kilometer journey to Jakarta.

"On their way to the city, Dani tried to grab the necklace from Maryamah, who defended it. Luckily, officers detected the robbery attempt as they were passing the minibus," Bambang said.

Police immediately arrested both Dani and the driver, 57-year- old Muhammad Samin, and took possession of the minibus. They also took Maryamah's necklace, worth over Rp 1 million (US$452), for use as evidence. (bsr)