Thieves rob truck in traffic jam

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 05/10/2008 10:34 AM  |  City

Robbers attacked a pickup truck while it was stuck in traffic on Puri Kembangan tollroad in West Jakarta on Thursday afternoon.

The driver and passenger, Hengki Kurniawan and Tirta Kusuma, employees at mobile phone distributor PT Trikomsel Multimedia, were delivering 150 phones to customers in the area.

As the truck exited the turnpike, a Toyota Kijang drew up alongside it and a man carrying a gun climbed out of it and into the truck, the victims said.

The robber reportedly forced Hengki and Tirta at gunpoint to keep driving, then abandoned them in Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta, before making off with the truck.

"We are still investigating the case, with the two employees as the main witnesses," Jakarta Police crime division chief, Adj. Sr. Comr. Fadil Imrai, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

He said after Hengki and Tirta reported the incident, a police search turned up the truck near Mayestik market, South Jakarta.

"The truck was empty. The robbers took all the mobile phones," he said.

Robberies committed during traffic jams are a familiar occurrence in Jakarta, the most infamous example being the kapak merah (red axe) gang who attacked motorists at the Coca-Cola intersection in Cempaka Putih, East Jakarta.

There are 69 other hotspots in Jakarta prone to traffic jam robbery, the Pos Kota newspaper reported.

In Central Jakarta, these include Jl. Ahmad Yani, Senen intersection and Jl. Asia Afrika in Senayan.

The danger spots in East Jakarta include Pasar Rebo and Arion intersection in Rawamangun.

In North Jakarta, the danger spots are Jl. Raya Cakung-Cilincing, Mambo intersection, Tanjung Priok, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan, Jl. Teluk Gong and Jl. Ampera.

In South Jakarta, the spots are Pancoran intersection, Mayestik, Jl. Cipete Raya, Jl. Raya Cilandak and Pasar Jumat, while in West Jakarta they include a section of the tollroad near Jl. S. Parman heading toward Slipi, Grogol intersection, Tomang intersection heading from Kebon Jeruk toll road, Cengkareng intersection and Pesing. (ind)

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