Officer thwarts daring daylight armed robbery

JAKARTA (JP): A police corporal posted at the Prima Express Bank branch office in Tebet, South Jakarta, managed to foil an attempted robbery by an armed man in the parking lot of the bank's premises on Monday afternoon.

The unknown robber escaped empty-handed with the help of his friend, who was waiting with a motorcycle near the scene.

Two private company's employees, who were about to lodge company money worth Rp 101 million (US$14,450) in cash, were slightly injured by a ricocheting bullet fired by the robber while the latter struggled to escape from the officer's grasp.

According to Corp. Ngatijo, the incident started at about 3 p.m. when he spotted a stranger with a gun walking to the bank from the other side of the street.

"A Mercedes-Benz sedan had just parked in the bank's parking lot. I was standing inside the bank... I saw a man coming from the road opposite the bank with a gun in his hand. He didn't notice me and I immediately put on a black jacket to hide my uniform," Ngatijo told reporters at the bank, while staring at fresh bloodstains on the floor and office chairs of the bank.

The officer recalled that he first saw a woman step out from the backseat of the Mercedes' left side door.

"Another man followed her and got out of the car. The driver was still behind the wheel," he said.

The couple were later identified as Erni Susanti, in her late 20s, and Dedi Junaedi, 20, both employees of PT Digital Technology. The female driver was later identified as the wife of their boss.

"I saw the robber go up to the man and the woman who had just gotten out of the car. I saw him muttering something.

Then he suddenly hit the man on the head with the back of his gun. I crept up from the right side of the car, reached the robber and jumped on him," Ngatijo said.

As he flung himself on the robber, Erni and Dedi were knocked over by the body of the suspect. The two then fell onto the street together with the robber and the police officer.

As they fell to the ground, the surprised robber fired his .38 millimeter FN gun.

The bullet ricocheted on the hard asphalt road and pierced Dedi's right thigh before whizzing out and piercing Erni's right lower arm.

"I stepped on the gun. The robber, who was really thin, forced himself out of my grip, ran away and got on a red RX King motorcycle where his friend was waiting for him," Ngatijo recalled.

The robber left his gun behind which still contained five remaining bullets.

At the hospital in Tebet, Erni told police officers that she and Dedi had just withdrawn the money from the Tebet branch office of Lippo bank on Jl. Dr. Soepomo.

"The Mercedes (license plate number B 86 M) is owned by my boss. The driver was my boss's wife. We were going to lodge the money at Prima Express Bank when the incident happened," Erni said, while lightly patting her bandaged arm.

"When I heard the gunshot, I fell to the ground and just let go of the bag of money. The bag is now with the police at the bank."

Separately, a man was shot in his left underarm in a motorcycle robbery on Jl. Seskoal in Cipulir, Kebayoran Lama, also in South Jakarta, at about 2:30 a.m. on Monday.

South Jakarta Police chief of detectives Maj. Rycko Amelza Daniel identified the victim as 31-year-old Syafaat, who is currently receiving treatment at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital.

"The victim was riding his motorcycle from the Mayestik market to the Cipulir traditional market to purchase meat. He was unaware that an RX King motorcycle was following him," Rycko told reporters at the South Jakarta Police precinct.

The suspect shot the victim. The victim screamed in pain, alerting local residents who ran after the suspect.

The suspect got away on his motorcycle with nothing. (ylt)