Snatcher in the train

Snatcher in the train

From Republika

On Nov. 25, I took the electric train at Bojonggede station at
about 11:30 a.m. The carriage I was in was not too crowded and
all the passengers were seated.

When the train arrived at Depok station, a group of children
aged between eight and ten years old, wearing monkey masks, got
into the train, and began entertaining the passengers with songs
and dances. Their show attracted more passengers, while new
passengers got onto the train.

As the train moved slowly at Lenteng Agung station, all of a
sudden I felt someone's hand grabbing my neck. Only a few seconds
afterwards, I realized that my necklace was gone. I saw a boy
jumping quickly out of the moving train. I shouted and shouted,
but in vain.

What I was concerned about is the fact that the rascal who
snatched my necklace was a boy of about eight years old. He was
among the new passengers and was standing close to me.

Upon questioning the dance group I was told that the boy did
not belong to the group. From the way how the boy had carried out
his job, I can conclude that I was not the first victim of his
devilish activities.

C. PURNOMO
Bogor, West Java