Armed robbers seize Rp 30.4 million

Armed robbers seize Rp 30.4 million

JAKARTA (JP): Two armed men robbed Ministry of Information
employees of Rp 30.4 million (US$13,130) at the ministry's
compound on Jl. Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, yesterday.

Dozens of employees rushed to help their colleagues but could
do nothing because one of the robbers fired a gun into the air.

No one was injured.

The employees, Ajisman and Amrullah, said they were about to
leave their Kijang van when an athletic-looking man put a sickle
around Ajisman's neck and stole the bag containing the money.

They withdrew the money from a bank on Jl. Thamrin. The money
belonged to the ministry.

Ajisman, 38, tried to resist and screamed for help but
Amrullah, also 38, was too stunned to do anything.

While one criminal stole the money, the other fired shots
to frighten those who came to help the victims. The robbers
escaped on a Yamaha RX-King motorcycle.

Witnesses said they sped through a red traffic light and
headed toward Harmoni.

Witnesses said the suspect with the gun wore a red jacket and
dark trousers while the other wore a long-sleeved shirt.

Central Jakarta Police Precinct officers arrived a few hours
later to collect information from the victims and witnesses.

"A cartridge found at the scene of crime will be brought to
the ballistic laboratory for examination," said Central Jakarta
Police Chief Lt. Col. M. Ibrahim.

Armed robberies of bank customers are on the rise on Jl. Medan
Merdeka which houses the Presidential Palace and several
government offices.

At least four cases have been reported, none have been solved
and no suspects arrested.

The latest robbery took place last Thursday on Jl. Medan
Merdeka Selatan near the United States embassy.

The robbery occurred in front of dozens of people. Four men
carrying guns and machetes robbed Rp 30 million from a travel
company's director. They killed the director and wounded his aid.

A police source said yesterday's robbery might have been
committed by the same people because the crimes were similar.

Many people might be involved, he said.

On Wednesday four unidentified men attacked a private employee
who had just withdrawn Rp 26 million. The robbery attempt
happened on Jl. Let. Jen. Suprapto, Central Jakarta.

The victim, Sahlan, had just left the Cempaka Putih Bank
Central Asia branch by motorbike when four men on two motorbikes
intercepted him and snatched his bag which contained money.

The robbers stabbed Sahlan and his scream for help alerted
people nearby. The robbers escaped without the money, and Sahlan
is in hospital with a serious arm injury.

The police source said city detectives had begun identifying
the operation's characteristics and were close to finding the
suspects' hiding place.

In a recent operation, police arrested 40 people from two
syndicates believed to have been involved in a series of similar
robberies in and around the city over the past few years. (bsr)