Money changer shot dead in daylight armed robbery
JAKARTA (JP): A man was fatally shot and another seriously wounded when four armed robbers raided a money changer's office on Jl. Mahakam II/2 in South Jakarta at midday yesterday.
Watched by a crowd of onlookers, the thieves escaped with Rp 60 million (US$3,750) in cash after opening fire in various directions to clear a path for their escape.
They sped off on two RX King motorcycles which they had parked in front of a nearby flower shop.
The dead man, I Gusti Kade, 27, a cashier at the Bali Inter money changer, was shot in the chest at close range by one of the robbers and died on the way to nearby Pertamina Hospital.
Irwan Rinaldi, 18, a passerby, received a glancing bullet wound which caused severe facial injuries.
He was in a critical condition in Pertamina hospital last night.
According to witnesses, the robbers concealed their guns in white tennis bags when they entered the money changer located next to Apotik Melawai pharmacy and Le Gourmet cookie shop at 12:30 p.m.
Yuni, a Bali Inter employee, said she was serving a customer when a man came up to her and demanded to know the current rupiah-Brunei dollar exchange rate.
She recalled seeing another member of the gang standing near the entrance to the shop.
"I told him the rate was Rp 9,800. Then my friend (Kade) suddenly screamed 'Help... thieves, thieves.' He went quiet after one of the gang shot him," Yuni said.
The robbers grabbed all the money on the front desk then escaped by opening fire in all directions to scare people away. A number of windows were broken.
Supaktini, a pharmacist at Apotik Melawai, said Irwan, a regular customer at the pharmacy, was shot because the robbers thought he was trying to block their escape.
"The crook pointed his gun at me first, but changed his mind and shot Irwan instead because he appeared to be blocking their way," she recalled.
After the shooting, Supaktini set off the pharmacy's alarm and ran outside to watch the gang escape.
"The robbers made their getaway on two motorcycles, parked near the flower shops just across the street," Supaktini said.
Bali Inter security guards Rahmat and Bobby Wattimuri said they were chased and shot at by the robbers.
"Fortunately the bullet missed us and went through a window", Rahmat said.
South Jakarta Police, the City Mobile Police Detective Unit and the police Rapid Reaction Unit were quick to arrive at the scene of the crime.
"So far, we have found 13 cartridge cases scattered around the area," South Jakarta Police detective chief Maj. Rycko A. Daniel said.
Judging from witnesses reports, the four men might be members of one of the most wanted gangs in the capital, Rycko said.
One witness told police that one of the gang walked calmly through a frightened crowd of onlookers carrying a rifle, he said.
Rycko also said that police were investigating a possible connection between yesterday's robbery and a mysterious request three days ago for Bali Inter to deliver Rp 1.4 billion to the Humpuss building near Gambir Station in Central Jakarta.
When Bali Inter staff arrived at the building, nobody was waiting to receive the money, he said.
Also at the scene yesterday was the newly installed Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman. (edt)