Robbers break into Islamic school

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)