Police baffled by jewelry robbery

Police baffled by jewelry robbery

JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta Police are searching for clues
after a group of six men stole a safe containing diamond and gold
jewelry worth Rp 1 billion (US$142,600) and Rp 8 million in cash
in a daring Saturday morning robbery,

South Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Satrya Harry Prasetya said
on Sunday that his personnel were puzzled by the robbery at a
residence which also served as a hair salon on Jl. Pejaten Mas,
Jatipadang, Pasar Minggu.

At least seven people, including two hairdressers, were at the
house when the robbery took place at 10:30 a.m..

The house owner, R. Sunarti, 35, was not at home.

Officer Harry quoted one of the hairdressers, Tuti, as saying
she believed two of the robbers visited the salon on Friday for a
haircut, wash and blow-dry.

"The men asked Tuti a lot of questions about the house, its
occupants, the number of rooms and so on," Harry said.

"Like many hairdressers, Tuti was unsuspecting and gave them a
lot of details."

"On Saturday, the same two people entered the salon first," he
quoted Tuti as saying. "Seeing only me and another girl, one of
them peeked around the salon door, signaling to the other robbers
that the coast was clear to enter the salon.

"Inside, the men calmly introduced themselves as robbers,
showed their sickles and machetes and pushed both Tuti and the
girl into the house, where five of Sunarti's family members
were."

The men hastily blindfolded and bound the legs and hands of
the house's occupants. However, he said Tuti was not blindfolded
during the robbery.

The men found a 0.5-meter-tall safe, containing the sets of
jewelry and Rp 8 million in cash. They escaped in a van.

"We found a few gems scattered on the salon's floor,
indicating that the robbers were in a very confused state and in
a hurry," Harry said.

"They seem to have tried to break the safe's code but failed,
and finally took the safe along with them.

"Traces of bloods were found on the salon's floor, indicating
that one of the six suspects might have been hurt since none of
the house members were harmed in any way."

Risky way

Harry said people were inviting trouble by keeping valuables
in their homes.

"Why should people take such risks? When something crazy like
this happens, then we have to do the legwork."

South Jakarta Police detectives are also investigating another
robbery early Saturday morning at the residence of a Rumanian on
Jl. Bangka in Mampang, and an attempted robbery on Jl. Benda in
Cilandak in which a security guard sustained a gunshot wound to
his back.

The robbery on Jl. Bangka occurred at 3:50 a.m. when three
robbers scaled the fence surrounding the home. They tied the man
to his bed on the second floor, and also bound his household
staff, Sobari and his wife.

Harry said the men threatened Sobari at gunpoint and hit the
Rumanian, causing a gash near his right eyebrow.

They stole a Toyota Kijang van, a TV set, a gold ring, $550,
Rp 1.5 million and a watch.

Meanwhile, a suspected robber shot 23-year-old security guard
Hendra Saptowibowo in the left side of the back in an attempted
robbery at Martha Busana clothes store on Jl. Benda at 6:30 a.m.
The man fled without taking any items.

Hendro is being treated at Fatmawati Hospital in South
Jakarta. (ylt)