Toll road robber arrested

JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested on Friday one of the three men believed to have robbed a businessman and his wife on the Jakarta-Merak toll road in Tangerang the previous day.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang told reporters the crook, identified as Ajum bin Saleh, 41, was arrested in his house in Buaran Harapan Mulya in Bekasi.

Aritonang said the other two thieves, whose identities were not disclosed, were still at large.

"The three approached the businessman named Risam, after his car stalled, and one of them broke a car window with a hammer," he said.

The three then threatened Risam and his wife with sharp weapons, ordering them to hand over their valuables.

"They took an Ericsson mobile phone, two wristwatches, and cash totaling Rp 500,000 (US$67) and fled the scene in a dark Kijang van," he added.

Shortly after the incident a Tangerang police patrol car passed the scene and found the two were in difficulty. Police then accelerated after the gang.

Aritonang said the police officers found the getaway vehicle abandoned in a Tangerang housing complexes.

They seized the van's ownership documents, two machetes, four sickles, a knife, a pair of steel scissors and a big roll of adhesive tape.

the vehicle turned out to have been rented from a firm in Bekasi.

"From the rental owner, police identified who used the car that day. We then set up a team to arrest Ajum at his house," Aritonang said.

Ajum is now being detained at Tangerang police station for further questioning. Officers are still searching for Ajum's accomplices. (emf)