Bank customer robbed of Rp 564m in midday holdup

JAKARTA (JP): Two men on a motorcycle robbed a man of Rp 564 million (US$80,570), which he had just withdrawn from a Bank Bali branch, on Monday afternoon on busy Jl. M.H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

As of late Tuesday evening, police had not managed to identify the robbers, believed to be armed with a gun, or their Yamaha RX King motorcycle, a popular vehicle throughout the country.

The midday robbery took place in front of scores of people in the parking lot, but none of them attempted to stop the robbers from escaping.

Police identified the robbery victim as Budi Zakaria, 34, a private employee from the nearby Kebon Sirih area.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Tuesday the robbery occurred at about 12 p.m., witnessed by many people.

Lubis said that, based on Budi's account, the victim was about to open the door of his car parked in the lot when the two men approached him on their motorcycle.

"One of the men pressed a pistol to Budi's back and snatched the bag," Lubis explained. The bag contained all of Budi's withdrawal.

The officers learned from witnesses that the man driving the motorcycle wore a full-face helmet, while the other man's face was not covered.

The two robbers revved the motorbike's engine and sped off with the bag.

Budi's screams alerted office security guards and parking attendants, but they did not stop the robbers, Lubis said.

Central Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Iman Harjatna said later in the afternoon that his men were still investigating the case.

"There is no significant progress in our findings so far but the investigation is still going on," Iman said.

In mid-February, a similar street robbery took place on Jl. Haji Agus Salim, near the scene of Monday's crime.

The audacious armed robbers targeted an employee of a money changer at his company's parking lot on the crowded street.

The suspects, who made of with Rp 500 million in cash, fired at least two shots to make onlookers give way as they escaped on their motorcycle, also a Yamaha RX King.

No one was injured.

The police claim to be still in the dark about the February robbery, which also took place in the busy afternoon hours.

Officer Iman on Tuesday said: "Please, don't relate Monday's robbery with other incidents because we still have no idea whether the robberies were committed by the same people.".(emf)