Armed robbers kill two, escape with Rp 1.8 billion
BOGOR (JP): Armed robbers killed a policeman and a security officer and injured two other people before they escaped with Rp 1.8 billion (US$211,765) owned by Bank Lippo here on Friday.
Deputy chief of Bogor police precinct, Makmun Saleh, said on Friday that such a robbery must have been committed by cold- blooded convicts. "If they are not cold-blooded criminals they won't shoot them to death," he said.
Eyewitnesses said that the robbery took place at 11.15 a.m. when Bank Lippo's driver Edy Supriyatna and cashier Meidy Lien were on their way using a white Kijang minivan to PT Great River building in Jl. Raya Cibinong to deliver the Rp1.8 billion fund. They were escorted by security officer Zaeni Tohir and policeman Sudiran.
Ida Lubis, 40, who witnessed the robbery, said that before the robbery took place, she saw two men with crew cut hair style park their RX-King motorcycle right in front of Apotik Mitra Farma, near her food stall in Jl. Raya Simpang Pomad, Cibinong.
As usual, traffic jams on the road caused motorists to drive slowly. When the Kijang minivan of Bank Lippo passed Ida's stall, one of the men approached it and aimed his pistol at the men inside. While he was circling the Kijang minivan, he shot it several times.
"I was very afraid as the robbery took place right in front of me. First I thought the police inside was after robbers but in fact the robbers shot at the men inside," she said.
She said the robbers shot dead Sudiran, 35, and Zaeni Tohir, 29. They also injured Meidy Lien, 30, the cashier of Bank Lippo and Edy Supriyatna, 41, the driver.
After overwhelming them, the robbers broke the minivan's rear glass with a shot and took the money. "They escaped easily with the motorcycle passing through the traffic jams," Ida said.
Great River' general affairs manager, Sero Adikaryo, said that as usual on Friday morning his company asked two cashiers of the company, Suswati and Susilowati, to cash cheques worth Rp 1.8 billion to Bank Lippo in Jl. Juanda, Bogor, which is about 20 kilometers from the apparel maker building.
The money will be used to pay the monthly salaries of its 1,500 workers, whose salaries range from Rp 550,000 to Rp 2,000,000. The textile company has 8,200 workers.
He said that Bank Lippo's staff members always deliver the money to PT Great River building, while his company's cashiers followed from behind using the company's Kijang minivan.
Makmun said that the police was investigating the case.
The robbery is the third involving bank and banks' clients this month. On Aug. 2, armed robbers seized some Rp 150 million from a client of state-owned Bank Mandiri in Sawah Besar, West Jakarta. On Aug. 27, armed criminals also robbed Rp 180 million from two employees of PT Cira Setya Sapta who were on their way to deposit the money to Bank BCA. (21/bnt)