Stolen taxi abandoned

JAKARTA (JP): A group of men robbed a Blue Bird taxi driver in East Jakarta on Monday and made off with his taxi, later abandoning the vehicle after it ran out of gas.

Police found the taxi near a toll gate in the Cikopo area in Karawang, West Java, at about 11:45 p.m. on Monday, the Antara news agency reported.

No details on the number of robbers or the identity of the driver were available.

Johan, a Blue Bird operator, confirmed an attack upon a taxi bearing plate number B 1421 WE near Halim Perdanakusuma Airport at about 9 p.m.

"But we have not received the full report on the Blue Bird taxi robbery in Halim."

No investigating police officers were available for comment on Tuesday.

The robbery was the first recorded this year following 1998's spate of crimes. City police arrested 32 suspects in 14 of 29 taxi robberies last year. (ivy)