Robbers break into Islamic school

JAKARTA (JP): About 600 students of an Islamic education institute in Pondok Aren, Tangerang, have enjoyed extra holidays after eight unidentified men broke into the premises Friday and made off with two computers, two television sets and Rp 1.5 million (US$555) in cash.

The Perguruan Al-Azhar III students, ranging in age from kindergarten to junior high school, were asked to stay home while the police conducted their investigation, the institute's chairman, Machfud, said over the weekend.

He did not specify the length of the holiday but asked the students to attend school yesterday for a flag-hoisting ceremony to commemorate the country's independence day.

Police quoted one of the school's security guards as saying that the eight intruders entered the building and threatened security guards Sunarto and Abdul Majid and gardener Hidup Maulana with machetes.

Sunarto, Majid and Hidup were then tied up and undressed by the men before they entered the school's administration office and stole the goods and the money, the eyewitness said.

The robbers then entered another building and stole a television. They escaped in a van.

It was the fourth such burglary of a school in and around Jakarta in the past three weeks.

A Ricci Foundation school, also in Pondok Aren; Don Bosco senior high school in Cilandak, South Jakarta; and Caritas Foundation junior and senior high schools, in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta were previously burglarized by unidentified men.

All the thieves are still at large. (27)