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)