Trickery used in Rp 3.9b designer watch robbery

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta Court yesterday indicted a man, who with the help of five accomplices, used trickery to steal 51 designer watches worth Rp 3.9 billion (US$1.1 million) from a shop in Ratu Plaza shopping center on April 3, 1995.

The scam, which was hatched at the Mandarin Hotel, relied on the defendant persuading two male staff members to leave the Sarida International Watch Shop, prosecutor Amri S. told the court.

The defendant was identified as Edi Cai Nam Sui, 39, who used the aliases Buci and Wijaya Gunawan, of Jl. Blok A-1 in the Citra Garden housing complex, West Jakarta.

According to the prosecutor, Edi was assisted by five men, who he identified as Marsitih, alias Anyen; Sunarto, alias Asun; Amin; Katai; and Sun Kwi Nio.

Anyen was one of the four attendants at the watch shop.

The prosecutor said that prior to the theft, Edi withdrew Rp 200 million from a bank in Harmoni and gave Rp 15 million to Asun so he could buy a watch from the shop.

Accompanied by Amin and Katai, Asun entered the shop -- which is owned by businessman Sari Putra Yoseph -- and purchased a wristwatch worth Rp 18 million, he said.

But Asun said he needed to return to his hotel room to get the remaining Rp 3 million and persuaded two shop employees to accompany him.

The prosecutor said that Amin and Katai, who were remained at the shop, kept another shop employee, Mursidah, busy while the fourth employee, Anyen -- who was one of the gang members -- grabbed the wristwatches from display tables.

However, Mursidah noticed what Anyen was doing. Anyen argued that he wanted to show the watches to prospective buyers with the help of Amin and Katai. The three men then left Mursidah alone in the shop, the prosecutor said.

Amri said the stolen watches -- which included the brands Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philips, Chopards, Vacheron Constantin, Piaget, and Baume & Mercier -- were priced between Rp 7 million and Rp 900 million each.

The prosecutor told the court that Edi later met Anyen, Amin and Katai at Citra Hotel in Mangga Besar, West Jakarta, where he paid Anyen Rp 180 million for the wristwatches.

He said the defendant had sold 26 of the 51 stolen watches to his brother, identified as Muhamad Hendri, and to shops in Pacenongan. The remaining 25 were kept by Amin and Katai.

Asun had earlier been sentenced by the same court, but the other four gang members -- Amin, Kati, Anyen and Sun Kwi Nio -- were still at large.

Amri said that Edi, who had been in custody since he was arrested on June 26, was charged under Article 363 of the Criminal Code and, if found guilty, faces a maximum penalty of nine years in jail.

Presiding judge Asmar Ismail adjourned the trial until next week to hear witnesses' testimonies. (jun)