Johny Indo's Story: Legendary Gold Robber New Order Era

Johanes Hubertus Eijkenboom or Johny Indo, a gold specialist robber whose story is legendary in Indonesia. (Dok. Personal)

JAKARTA - No one knows Johanes Hubertus Eijkenboom or Johny Indo in the New Order (Orba) era. Johny Indo is often known as a big criminal. The dedengkot of the robbers group, the Chinese City Troops (Pacinko) too. His action of robbing a gold shop never fails.

All because Johny played a role like a criminal genius. He always maps the action scenario well, from start to finish. The loot was not entirely used for personal gain. Johny prefers to share it with the poor in the city.

Life satisfaction is not always determined by the success of achieving a classy job. Johny Indo accompanies him. The man who was born in Garut, November 6, 1948, has a lucky fate. His beautiful face became an important provision for Johny to achieve a career in the entertainment world.

He was able to penetrate the world of models and actors even though he was just starting. He is not very popular. However, the sustenance has been smooth. Recently, Johny began to have the desire to get additional income.

The input was to finance his life as well as help the poor in the city. Instead of choosing a halal way, Johny actually entered the dark world. He started forming his herd. PacINKo, his name. He chose himself a member he considered to be capable of robbing. The gold shop is his target.

The first robbery was carried out at a gold shop in the Kebon Kacang area, Jakarta in September 1977. The robbery was not carried out by spontaneity. Johny likes to prepare everything well. He gained the knowledge of robbing from his hobby of reading books.

He often has more interest in reading books related to war to espionage. The tactics in the book he studied led to new knowledge: the science of thieves. He began to think about how the security forces did not sniff out his group.

Johny also asked his herd to steal a taxi. The vehicle was used to rob and succeed. Johny also often provides his actions with two of his flagship pistols, Smith & Wesson with caliber 32 and senile 45.

Johny and his flock managed to take away two kilograms of gold. Johny deliberately took the stolen car to the home area of a rich man-general of the TNI in Kebayoran Baru.

Kebayoran Baru in addition to the residences of rich people is also where generals are. Johny argues that if they fled there, the army would certainly think the young people he was chasing might be the general's son.

So that those who pursue their hearts will shrink. And again, he will suspect that these young people may also be clashing with other gangs. And how could robbers use a new corolla car," wrote Willy A. Hangguman in the book Johnny Indo: Repentance and Hope (1990).

Johny Indo is indeed a high-profile criminal. However, he has a code of ethics in every action. He always targets gold shops. The robbery carried out should not disturb women. Nor rob from the poor.

The matters of robbery are always divided equally. The part is always divided into two: personal needs and helping the poor he is also nicknamed Robin Hood. Johny also always gives a break to every act of robbery.

He was always able to read when the police were careless and the robbery could restart. The gold robbery continues to be planned. He was safe from 1977 to 1979. Seven robberies have been carried out in various corners of Jakarta even though Johny's court only wanted to admit five robberies.

Uniquely, the police have not received a leak of who is the mastermind of the robber. However, criminals also have bad days. Johny's men were arrested by the police not during the robbery. Full information regarding his gang was wide open.

Police are targeting all Pacinko groups. Johny was the only one who managed to escape. However, Johny's escape was not calm. He was later arrested by the police in 1979. Johny was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was also sent to the Nusakambangan Penitentiary (LP).

Johny had run away once. However, he decided to repent and only came out in 1987. Johny was then flooded with work as an actor, including playing a film that tells about himself in 1987: Johnny Indo: The True Story of an inmate. He later died on January 20, 2020.

From the reports of the victims, the police noted, there were about 16 kg of gold that had been stolen by Johny's gang. In court, the penodong admitted that they had spent the results of their activities to cover their daily needs, in addition, of course to focusing. The latter, which was burdensome to Johny's punishment. If the proceeds of his crimes, for example, were to finance his sick son -- that's okay. But according to the assembly, Johny's life was bigger by the stake."

Johny's job is just a driver next to a photo of an ad model that is not yet finished. But he can become a member of Perbakin (the shooter's organization), which no one can enter, if not a rich person. From seizing weapons, master them darkly and using them, Johny was sentenced to 10 years in prison," wrote Tempo magazine report entitled Johnny Indo: 10 Years Later (1979).