Toll road robber arrested

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)