One taxi driver killed, two others hurt in robberies

One taxi driver killed, two others hurt in robberies

JAKARTA (JP): Three taxi drivers were robbed yesterday, in
Bekasi, South Jakarta and West Jakarta. One was killed and the
other two seriously injured.

President taxi driver Sjamsul Bahri, 40, was found dead in his
car in the remote village of Setia Mulya, Taruma Jaya, in Bekasi,
early in the morning, City Police Spokesman Maj. Nyoman Suriasta
said yesterday. The murderer is still at large and the police are
assuming that the motive for the murder was robbery. Sjamsul's
wallet was missing and no one knows how much money was taken.

Also yesterday the South Jakarta Police arrested three men for
attacking a Agung Citra Wibawa taxi driver on Jl. Hang Lekiu,
Kebayoran Baru, and stealing Rp 25,000 and a taxi radio, Nyoman
said. The driver was stabbed in the back.

The third robbery took place in West Jakarta, when two
passengers riding in a Sri Medali taxi overwhelmed the driver and
stole Rp 100,000 and the taxi radio. The two criminals escaped
before police officers arrived on the scene. The driver had been
stabbed several times in the head.

Bekasi police said that the Setia Mulya villagers who found
Sjamsul's body said it was on the back seat of his cab with 16
stab wounds in the chest.

The police sent Sjamsul's body to Bekasi general hospital and
towed the taxi to the police precinct.

"Sjamsul is one of my drivers; he left home at eight o'clock
yesterday morning," the cab owner, Suwardi, told reporters at the
hospital.

"We were worried about him when he did not call us nor come
home. And then two police officers picked me up to identify his
body at the hospital," said Suwardi, who went to the hospital
with the victim's wife.

Sjamsul was a resident of the Pondok Timur Indah housing
complex, South Bekasi.

Quoting Sjamsul's wife, Suwardi said that Sjamsul usually
returned home with about Rp 150,000 (US$64) every day.

Students

Nyoman said two of Mukasin's three attackers, were students.

He said the suspects were identified as Sumardadi, a 21-year-
old private university student, Adil Kahar, an 18-year-old senior
high school student, and Galmen Handingan, also 18.

Nyoman said the three suspects stopped the Agung Citra Wibana
taxi on Jl. Pasar Jum'at, South Jakarta, and asked the driver to
take them to Pondok Indah, also in South Jakarta.

One the way, one of them threatened to stab Mukasin with a
knife and demanded money.

Mukasin was stabbed in the back and tied up with a rope on the
back seat before the robbers stole Rp 25,000 and the cab radio.

Police who happened to be patrolling in the area arrested the
three youths as they were about to leave the taxi.

The robbery in the Sri Medali taxi occurred on Jl. Rawa
Belong, West Jakarta, Nyoman said. The two passengers stopped the
taxi in the Kampung Melayu area, East Jakarta, and asked the
driver, identified as Syamsul, to take them to Kota, in West
Jakarta.

One of the passengers threatened the driver with a knife and
asked for money when the taxi reached Tanah Abang, Central
Jakarta. They stole Rp 100,000 and forced Syamsul to leave the
taxi.

Syamsul was dumped with stab wounds in the head and back.

The suspects drove the taxi away and abandoned it on Jl Rawa
Belong, West Jakarta. "The two robbers are still at large,"
Nyoman said. (jun/kod/bsr)