Robbers steal $24,500 from money changers

Five men and a woman robbed two employees of money changer company PT Esa Pratama at a room in Hotel Aston, Setiabudi, South Jakarta, on Friday afternoon.

Setiabudi Police's detective chief, Comr. Riftajudin, said that the two victims, identified only as JM and KFP, received an order from a hotel guest to help him exchange an amount of rupiah to US dollars.

The guest asked them to bring US$24,500 to their hotel room.

"When the victims arrived at the hotel room, they were greeted by a woman who asked them to come in," Riftajudin said on Saturday. "After the door was closed, five men suddenly appeared and attacked the victims."

He added that the attackers tied the victims up and covered their mouths with tape, then left the room with the money.

"We are still tracing the robbers' whereabouts," Riftajudin said, adding that the suspects were recorded by the hotel's CCTV cameras.