Bank client robbed of Rp 20 million

JAKARTA (JP): Two unidentified armed men robbed a bank customer of Rp 20 million (US$8,510) in cash in the parking lot of a leasing company building on Jl. Juanda, Central Jakarta, yesterday.

Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Abubakar Nataprawira said that the bank customer, Andreas Hutagalung, got out of his jeep in the parking lot of PT Gama Multi Finance and saw that the vehicle's rear left tire was flat.

"Andreas was suddenly approached by one of the two suspects. The man threatened him with a machete, asking him for the bag that contained the money he had just withdrawn," Abubakar said. One of the robbers then grabbed the bag from Andreas.

Andreas' driver, identified as Syamsudin, was afraid to help his boss because the other man, who was on a motorcycle, fired a shot into the air, he said. The robbers escaped soon after grabbing Andreas' bag.

A police officer at the Central Jakarta police precinct said that judging from the shell found at the robbery site, the gun was a 32 millimeter Baretta. This type of gun is usually used by security guards.

Syamsudin presumed that the tire was punctured by one of the robbers when the jeep stopped at a traffic light on Jl. Merdeka Barat, he said.

Andreas, the finance manager of PT Bina Ika Tobala of South Jakarta, had just withdrawn the money from the Cut Mutia branch of Bank BNI on Jl. Cut Mutia in Menteng, Central Jakarta when he and his driver realized they were being followed by the two men.

Over the past two months, three robberies took place after the victims withdrew money from branches of Bank BNI.

On Aug. 1, Betty, a 66-year-old woman, was robbed by two unidentified men, one armed with a gun, of Rp 40 million after she had withdrawn the money from the Bank BNI on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta. She was robbed in front of her house on Jl. Bulungan in South Jakarta after being followed by the two men.

Christa R. Siahaan, an employee of the Ministry of Health, was robbed by two unidentified men of jewelry worth Rp 9 million and Rp 21 million in cash in front of a restaurant on Jl. Kramat Raya on Aug. 29. She was being followed by the two men after she withdrew the money from the Matraman branch of Bank BNI in East Jakarta.

The following day, Siswanto, an employee of the State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports office, was robbed by two unidentified men of Rp 110 million in cash in the parking lot of the office, on Jl. Asia Afrika in Central Jakarta. He withdrew the money from the Senayan branch of Bank BNI.

Abubakar said the police are still investigating whether the series of robberies were connected to each other or were committed by the same people.

He called on people to ask for police protection when withdrawing large sums of money from banks.

"We also ask bank officers to suggest to their customers to ask for police help when withdrawing money from the bank," he said. (jun)