Photo: Illustration
Businessman Mamat Surahmat (55), who the media has dubbed the ‘rice boss’ due to his highly profitable rice business, was shot dead by a group of robbers on Saturday evening.
Mamat was driving his motorcycle home from Pasar Ciracas at around 6:30pm. He was carrying a bag thought to contain a lot of money, which attracted the attention of four robbers on motorcycles at the time.
“We think the robbers followed the victim,” said Unggung Cahyono, head of the Jakarta Police, as quoted by Detik yesterday.
The four robbers cornered Mamat on the road. Mamat tried to fight back, but he was whacked in the left leg with a machete, and then shot twice with a gun.
Mamat then fell off his bike and the robbers escaped with the bag. Mamat was taken to Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta, where he passed away.
According to Mamat’s brother-in-law, Sukria Ramdhani, the ‘rice boss’ was carrying more than Rp 500 million in the stolen bag.
“That money was his income. It was his business capital. [Mamat] goes home every afternoon carrying that kind of money. The crime scene is not far from where he worked,” Sukria said, as quoted by Warta Kota yesterday.
The police have meanwhile located some robbers thought to belong to the same gang of robbers that attacked Mamat. They have made three arrests and killed two others for trying to resist arrest.
