(Antaranews.com/Marifka Wahyu Hidayat)

Purwokerto: A string of gold jewelry store robberies in a number of cities in the region committed by armed robbers last month were not linked to terrorism, Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Didik Tri Sutomo says.

“Our personnel are still conducting investigations at the crime scenes and so far no indication of terrorist acts has been found. They were purely criminal,” Didik told the press on the sidelines of his official visit in Purwokerto on Wednesday.

He said that the recent robbery in Purbalingga was considered an act of desperation as it was committed in the day time, when many customers were shopping in the retail area. “We have found the motorcycle used in the robbery. Hopefully this will lead to further clues,” he said.

Six armed people robbed two gold stores in a traditional market in Kejobong district, Purbalingga, on Tuesday, stealing almost all of the gold jewelry belonging to the two adjacent stores.

The robberies were carried out simultaneously and lasted only three minutes. The robbers reportedly fired at random into the sky, and escaped with an estimated five kilograms of gold.

Previously, a similar store robbery occurred in Kebumen regency, Central Java. Again, the perpetrators robbed two adjacent gold stores.

On the same day that the robberies in Kebumen took place, another attempted robbery took place in which assailants attempted to rob a gold trader as he was transporting his merchandise in a car. The robbery took place on Jl. Raya Menganti, which borders Banyumas regency.

The attempted robbery failed as the car escaped from the robbers.

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