Men make off with Rp 21m in robbery

DENPASAR, Bali: Two armed men escaped with Rp 21.5 million in cash in a day-light robbery here on Friday.

No fatalities were reported in the incident, a police officer said.

The chief of the Badung riot police, Sr. Insp. Ketut Surphawinaya, said the robbery occurred in the parking lot of an electronics store on Jl. Gunung Agung. He said two men, one armed with a gun, approached the victims, identified as Wiwin Ambriyah and her driver Yohanes Harmoko, who had just parked their vehicle and were walking toward the store.

"The two threatened Wiwin and demanded she hand over her bag, which contained Rp 21.5 million in cash, two Visa cards and a cellular phone. But Wiwin refused to do so and Harmoko attempted to fight off one of (the robbers)," he said.

Surphawinaya said one of the two robbers then drew a pistol and shot at Harmoko three times, missing the victim with all three shots. "Harmoko was very lucky. One of the bullets went through his pants without hitting his leg."

The robbers then grabbed the bag and ran to the street, where two other men were waiting for them on motorbikes.

Police found a homemade pistol loaded with three bullets in the parking lot.(zen/lup)