Police baffled by armed robbery
JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta police detectives are searching for two suspects in connection with an attempted armed robbery of Rp 273 million (US$36,400) on Wednesday afternoon, and the shooting of two people at the Grand Wijaya Center, located next to the South Jakarta police precinct.
South Jakarta police chief Col. Nono Suprijono identified the victims as Agus Setiadi, who was shot in the back, and Parno, who was shot in the head. Both are being treated at Pertamina hospital in South Jakarta.
"We've got one empty shell believed to have come from a Colt... probably a .38 (millimeter), but we cannot say for sure until we receive positive results from the National Police forensics laboratory," Nono told reporters.
Separately, Second Lt. Sukirman of the crime scene unit said Parno was a cigarette vendor who got shot when he tried to rescue Agus, an office boy who works for the shipping firm PT Sriwijaya Lloyd on Block F 45 at the Grand Wijaya Center, on Jl. Dharmawangsa.
Agus and cashier Tetty Elizabeth had left their office in the operational Pajero van, driven by driver Herman, for the Standard Chartered Bank on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, at about 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sukirman said.
After withdrawing Rp 273 million for their office's operational costs, the van drove back to PT Sriwijaya Lloyd. There two men approached Agus as he got out of the van.
"The men tried to grab the bag from Agus and when he fought back they shot him. Wounded, Agus stumbled back to the van but Herman had locked the doors," Sukirman said.
Herman added that he had his back turned to Agus the whole time and didn't witness the robbery.
"When I saw Agus panting I immediately got out and wrapped myself around him, taking the bag out of his hands. I quickly opened the door to our office and threw the bag inside," Herman said.
"In the midst of all this, Parno was trying to save Agus and he got shot as well."
South Jakarta police officers were baffled with the company's failure to ask the precinct for police officers to accompany the company's staff.
"We asked them why... they could not give a sensible answer," Sukirman told reporters.
"We have never experienced something as terrible as this incident," Elizabeth said. "We have to discuss the necessity of such protection with the company's management first."
Earlier, National Police chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo stated that more armed police officers would be deployed to secure bank withdrawals following several robberies and attempted robberies in the capital.
"I urge all banks, companies and other institutions to please accept our help. I say this for your own safety," Rusdihardjo said.
In an unrelated development, city police mobile detectives (Resmob) arrested seven men in Kebun Bawah, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta on March 24, in connection with the robberies of fax machines, photo-copiers, computers, printers and tape decks in three different locations beginning in early February of this year.
Resmob chief Capt. Syafi'i identified the men as Massum, Anas, Paryono, Tamzis, Joko Purwanto, Hamdun alias Lili and Musdar.
Syafi'i said the robberies had occurred on Jl. Musi Cideng in Central Jakarta, on Jl. SMEA VI Cawang, East Jakarta, and Jl. Matraman, Kebon Manggis in East Jakarta.
"Six of them, excluding Musdar, would do the robbing and store the goods at Musdar's residence at Kebun Bawah in order to resell them," Syafi'i said. (ylt)