Taxi passengers robbed at lights

JAKARTA (JP): Five men robbed two taxi passengers of Rp 44 million at a busy intersection on Jl. Salemba Raya, Central Jakarta on Monday, police said.

Two employees of Hotel Acacia boarded a Kosti Jaya taxi outside the hotel on Jl. Salemba Raya to deposit money at a Bank Internasional Indonesia branch in the Senen district, said Central Jakarta Police detective Hendra Suhartiyono.

When the taxi stopped at the Jl. Paseban intersection, five men approached the car. As the taxi doors were unlocked, the culprits had little trouble in forcing the two men to hand over the money.

Edward, the taxi driver, said he did not see the men using any weapons, but one passenger said some were armed with sharp weapons.

Edward and the two hotel employees, Agus Riadi and Widodo Susilo, were helping the police with their inquiry later on Monday. (06)