Police on trail of crooks aiming at expats
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.