Link found between money changer heists

Link found between money changer heists

JAKARTA (JP): The Sunday robbery at Tritama Valasindo money
changer in Central Jakarta may have been committed by members of
the same group that raided another money changer's office two
days earlier, a police officer said yesterday.

"There's a strong connection between the two cases. We have
some clues, but we can't reveal them now as it will scare the
suspects away," head of South Jakarta Police detective unit Maj.
Rycko A. Daniel told reporters.

Eyewitnesses and police said that a group of eight men armed
with sharp weapons broke into the Tritama office on the second
floor of a four-story shop-house on Jl. Teuku Cik Di Tiro at
about 3:30 a.m. Sunday.

Witnesses said the robbers escaped in two Kijang vans with a
safety box containing cash in different currencies valued at some
Rp 700 million (US$43,750) after severely wounding a police
patrol officer, Sgt. Maj. Bambang D., 35, who was trying to block
the robbers' way.

"In the strongbox there was Rp 140 million in Indonesian
rupiah and notes of various currencies, such as U.S., Australian
and Singapore dollars, which altogether totaled about Rp 700
million," Surya Wijaya of Tritama told The Jakarta Post.

On midday Friday at the Bali Inter money changer on Jl.
Mahakam in South Jakarta, a group of four robbers armed with guns
shot a cashier dead and wounded a passerby. The group left the
scene with Rp 60 million cash after opening fire in various
directions to clear a path for their escape.

According to Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Iman
Haryatna, some witnesses have told investigators that all the
robbers at Tritama were attired in military-style uniforms.

"But we cannot make wild accusations because anybody could
have worn such uniforms," Iman said.

As of yesterday afternoon, police officer Bambang, whose head
was slashed with a sickle by one of the robbers, is improving at
Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital.

As part of the efforts to trace the whereabouts of the
suspects in the Bali Inter daylight robbery, the South Jakarta
Police have released descriptions of two of the four alleged
robbers.

Head of South Jakarta Police Lt. Col. Yudi Sushariyanto said
that one of the men is rather chubby, has long hair, wore a black
leather jacket and could have an open wound on the right side of
his neck.

"We believe that his neck was gashed when some windows broke,
and some of the witnesses said that he was the one who held a
long rifle.

"Another man is rather tall, about 170 centimeters, has a
crewcut, is thin and wore a red-and-white Marlboro jacket. He was
reportedly carrying an FN gun," Yudi said.

Police have circulated these preliminary descriptions of the
robbers throughout the city.

"We have informed drug stores, pharmacies, clinics and
hospitals, just in case the suspects show up. We're trying the
best we can to inhibit the robbers' movements," he said after
attending a discussion of the case at his office.

"If anyone sees these men, please report it to a nearby police
post or the South Jakarta Police at 7206011," Yudi urged.

He also stated that experts at the National Police Forensic
Laboratory have identified the guns used in the midday robbery.

"They used AK-47 rifles and FN Tokarev guns. We found bullet
casings at the scene and four bullets, one of which was inside
the victim's body," Yudi said, adding that the AK-47 is one of
the military's official guns.

So far, police have confiscated two tennis bags believed to
have been used by the robbers to carry the guns and bullets.

Twelve witnesses have been questioned, mostly employees and
security guards of the money changer and the nearby Mahakam drug
store.

Friday's robbery resulted in the death of I Gusti Kade, 27, a
cashier at Bali Inter and left a passerby, Irwan Rinaldi, 18, in
critical condition. Irwan is being treated at Pertamina Hospital,
South Jakarta.

Witnesses said they sped off on two RX Kings motorcycles which
they had parked at a nearby flower shop. (edt)