Police on trail of crooks aiming at expats
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Responding to a recent string of robberies targeting foreigners, the Jakarta Police said on Friday that they had stepped up investigations into several crime syndicates in the Greater Jakarta area.
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said police had managed to identify the syndicates based on clues collected during a series of investigations and were now hunting the gang members down.
"They (the syndicates) target cars used by foreigners. They rob parked cars and have studied the habits of their targets before going into action. We have collected some information about their whereabouts," he told The Jakarta Post.
Ketut said the robbers often placed nails on roads where foreigners usually passed.
Police had information that several members of the syndicates were hiding in Palembang, South Sumatera, after conducting robberies in several areas in Greater Jakarta.
Twelve robberies or thefts targeting foreigners occurred in the city in September, up from only five in August.
The latest case was a robbery of an Australian couple in a car on Jl. Thamrin in Tangerang, Banten, on Tuesday afternoon.
The cars tires burst and the couple and their driver had got out of the car to check the damage when the robbers stuck. Two men seen riding a motorcycle made off with Rp 500 million (US$49,858) of cash, jewelry and belongings, including a laptop, a cellular phone and several important documents, from inside the car when the tire was being fixed.
Another Australian man lost his laptop, passport and credit cards after being robbed in front of the office of the Ministry of Youth Affairs on Jl. Gerbang Pemuda, Central Jakarta, on Sept. 26.
Ketut called on foreigners to conduct precautionary measures when stopping or parking their cars.
"If they can, they should stop at a busy place if they find they have a problem with their car. Always lock the car when checking it. Try also to choose different roads when going from home to the office to avoid being detected by robbers or thieves," he said.
Police could not provide special security measures for foreigners, only for diplomatic staff, as they lacked the personnel, he said.
Ketut said police were conducting regular patrols to monitor places prone to robberies.