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)