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span class="caption" style="width: 398px;">The accused: Two of four suspects in the recent robbery of a Central Jakarta minimarket are escorted into Jakarta Police headquarters on Tuesday. Antara/M. Agung RajasaIn what is strangely reminiscent of the plot of Arthur Penn’s seminal crime-caper classic Bonnie and Clyde, two lovebirds decided to form a gang and rob minimarkets when they found themselves running out of money and stuck with mountains of debt.

The police said on Tuesday that the lovers, identified as MA, 26, and PAT, 23, had their crime spree cut short on Monday when they were arrested by the Central Jakarta Police.

“They robbed at least nine minimarkets, making away with a total amount of Rp 30 million [US$3,300],” Central Jakarta Police detective unit chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hengki Haryadi said.

Five of the holdups, which were carried out over the past two weeks, occurred in Central Jakarta: three at Circle-K stores, one at an Indomaret and another at an Alfa Express store. Each of the other robberies took place at Circle-K stores in Jakarta’s other four municipalities.

PAT, who earned a living as a drug dealer’s accomplice in Kampung Ambon, West Jakarta, was arrested on Monday in the neighborhood, which is notorious for its drug-dealing activities. MA was arrested a few hours later in Kampung Bali, a Central Jakartan subdistrict, infamous as a hotbed of narcotics, where she ran a food stall.

“The pair said they had just returned from a holiday in Bali and that they had run out of money. PAT had learned the tricks of the trade from other gangs and then formed his own,” Hengky said.

On the same day, the police also arrested their accomplices, TA, 38, and RAP, 29, who reportedly worked for an event-organizing company. The police are still looking for a third accomplice.

The police confiscated two motorcycles, four cellular phones, one black Prada bag, an airsoft gun with bullets and Rp 16.8 million in cash.

Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Angesta Romano Yoyol said the four had conducted robberies since last year.

“They were rather spontaneous in planning the robberies. They usually drove around in PAT’s car and when they found a minimarket with minimum security, they would take out their weapons and tell the cashier to empty the cash register,” he said.

“There were no specific targets among the several minimarket chains. They just felt, if they were successful in robbing a minimarket belonging to one chain, they would rob other minimarkets in the same chain,” Angesta explained.

All four suspects are now in custody at the Central Jakarta Police headquarters and have been charged under the Criminal Code for armed robbery. They could face up to 12 years’ imprisonment if found guilty. (mim)