Robbery arises in posh housing areas

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.