Robbery arises in posh housing areas

Evi Mariani, Jakarta

Robbers broke into a house on Jl. H. Saidi III in Cilandak, South Jakarta, in the early morning hours on Monday, taking jewelry worth an estimated Rp 1 billion (US$111,000) and Rp 55 million in cash.

It was the fourth robbery in three weeks in an elite housing area in South Jakarta which is usually heavily guarded.

The victims revealed that the five-strong gang, jumped over the high wall of the house at about 3:30 a.m. and knocked down the startled security guard, Elyanto, 34.

The robbers got into the main bedroom and woke up the house owner Irwan Amir, 47, and wife Yuliawati, 43. Threatened with knives, the couple were forced to show them where the safe was kept.

The five left the house in a Kijang minivan.

Seven armed men in a luxury sedan broke into a house on Jl. Bangka VIIIA in Mampang, South Jakarta on Saturday.

From the house, which belonged to Krisnaraga Sapuan, the robbers took jewelry worth Rp 50 million and Rp 6.5 million, US$300 and S$60 in cash.

Witnesses said that the robbers posed as passersby asking for directions from the security guard of the house. Later, they threatened the guard with knives before entering the house.

Several days earlier, on July 6, several men in a BMW, as seen by witnesses, took jewelry worth Rp 50 million from a house on Jl. Limau in Kebayoran Baru while the occupants, Edi Fadianto, his wife and children, were on vacation in Bali.

Singaporean Ramli Hasan, 48, was robbed in his house on Jl. Hang Lekiu, Kebayoran Baru on June 27. He lost his collection of 30 luxury wristwatches worth Rp 150 million in the robbery. The robbers also took Rp 10 million in cash.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo said that police detectives in South Jakarta had already beefed up security in elite housing areas.

"The problem in such housing complexes is that the neighbors don't notice what happens in other houses," he said. "Security guards could help, but the house owners have to first make sure that the guards are well-trained."

"Moreover, a high fence is sometimes not a good safety feature, because neighbors, passersby or even patrolling police officers would not notice if a robbery was taking place inside," he added.