Tangerang thieves snatch Rp 130m in latest case

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang

Two thieves managed to steal Rp 130 million (US$15,295) belonging to a Taiwanese timber businessman from the inside of a car that had stopped outside of a penitentiary in Tangerang municipality on Wednesday.

According to the driver of the Isuzu Panther minivan, Mamad, 30, the vehicle had a puncture tire while passing the Sitanala Leprosy Hospital in Neglasari. Mamad, however, was unwilling to stop as the area had a bad reputation. However, another puncture five minutes later forced him to bring the minivan to a halt.

With Taiwanese Andy Cou on board, Mamad parked up right in front of the Juvenile Penitentiary on Jl. Daan Mogot at about 2 p.m.

Mamad had just collected Cou from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng and was taking his boss to the latter's offices at PT Berkat Jaya Semesta, a wood processing company located on Jl. Telesonik in Jatiuwung.

Mamad said that as soon as he stopped the car, two men riding on a motorcycle suddenly rode up on the passenger side, snatched Cou's bag and quickly drove off.

"There were a lot of street vendors, police and public order officers around at the time, but they did nothing when I yelled at the thieves, and asked them to stop the two men," he told reporters after reporting the case to the police.

Tangerang Police detectives chief Adj. Comr. Asep Adi Saputra admitted that many similar crimes had occurred recently in Tangerang.

But he refused to comment on why the police had yet to catch the thieves.--JP