Police fail to solve robberies inside taxis

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta Police have been unable to solve any of the seven robbery cases inside taxis that have taken place in the past five months, an officer has said.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga said on Tuesday that investigators had gained very few clues as to who might have perpetrated the crimes from robbery victims, making it difficult to identify the groups or syndicates responsible.

He said that all the taxi robbery cases police were currently investigating had similarities in the modus operandi, in which a robbery syndicate or group used cabs that were made to look like the vehicles of popular companies, including Blue Bird and Manuk Mira, and operated them just like ordinary taxis.

The "taxi drivers" would look for a woman passenger and would stop the cab somewhere in a quiet area and allow several friends to get into the taxi who would then rob the passenger.

"This modus operandi makes it difficult to trace the robbers as the victims would pinpoint a certain taxi operator, but when we would arrange a meeting between the taxi operator and the victims, the latter would not recognize the drivers," he told The Jakarta Post.

Ketut said that police would lose track as the victims could not give anymore clues.

Many regular taxi passengers, who are willing to pay more for a convenient ride, have expressed concern about their security following reports of rampant robberies by alleged taxi drivers.

The most recent robbery inside a taxi occurred last Friday evening when Susan Bayu Aji, 32, was robbed by a taxi driver and his two accomplices inside a Manuk Mira taxi on her way home from a birthday party in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

All of Susan's jewelry, including a ring, a necklace and a bracelet as well as her cellular phone and money were taken by the three men before she was dumped in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.

Susan reported the case to police right after she arrived home.

The police quickly arrested AN Imron, who was driving the Manuk Mira taxi with door number 114, in Cibubur, East Jakarta. Imron, however, was later released after Susan told police that she did not recognize the driver.

Early last month, Ellaide Rumiaty Tampubolon was robbed inside a taxi that resembled a Blue Bird taxi.

When the driver from the Blue Bird taxi of that taxi number was presented to Ellaide, she did not recognize him.

Ketut said that they had discussed the possibility of linking taxi communication devices with the police's communication line.

"Police can't handle all security issues. Taxi operators should also take responsibility. For instance, we hope taxi operators will allow drivers to have a direct contact with police stations," he said.

Ketut said that to prevent further robberies, police would work with the transportation agency and taxi operators to check cabs operating on the streets to check whether the taxi was a genuine cab from a legitimate operator.