Police shoot man dead, prevent Rp 2.5b robbery

Police shoot man dead, prevent Rp 2.5b robbery

JAKARTA (JP): A North Jakarta Police internal affairs officer
shot and killed one of four suspected armed robbers in a dramatic
shootout in front of Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) on Jl. Veteran,
Central Jakarta.

Central Jakarta Police chief of detectives Maj. Budiono Sandi
said on Monday that the shooting of the suspect, identified as
Djafar, by Chief Corporal Dur Jani, prevented a robbery of a safe
containing Rp 2.5 billion (US$357,200).

"The money belonged to the Tanjung Priok BRI office, which was
withdrawn from the central bank on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, by Tanjung
Priok BRI staffer Taufik Hidayat," Budiono told reporters.

"Taufik was with Mulyana, the Tanjung Priok office security
guard and Chief Corporal Dur Jani. The money in the safe was put
in Kijang van B 7109 JQ by driver Wirdiyanto, and driven toward
Tanjung Priok."

Budiono said upon reaching the Harmoni intersection, the
passengers felt the back tire go flat. Wirdiyanto drove on until
he reached the Veteran office of BRI.

"The passengers got of the van to change the flat tire. Before
anybody could react, a man shot Dur Jani in his thighs, while
another took out the safe containing the money from the van,"
Budiono said.

"Dur Jani, who could still get up, shot the man who was
carrying the safe three times."

Djafar died from the three shots; two to his chest and one to
his stomach.

Separately, Mulyana told reporters he got out of the van to
buy a drink.

Suddenly he heard Dur Jani screaming "Thief! Thief!"

"The men were attempting to escape on two motorcycles. Dur
shot the one trying to take the safe ... the safe fell from the
man's hands."

Dur Jani is being treated at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital in
Central Jakarta. Dur, who is still weak, said he saw six men and
not four.

Separately, South Jakarta Police detectives strongly suspected
two men as the culprits in last Tuesday's armed robbery in which
the suspects robbed a couple of Rp 68 million (US$9067). The
incident occurred in the parking lot of a car dealership on Jl.
Buncit Raya in Pancoran, South Jakarta.

South Jakarta Police chief of detectives Maj. Rycko Amelza
Daniel identified the men as Sa and Mo.

The victim, Mrs. Erniyanti, 43, was carrying cash in her
black purse.

"She had come with her husband in a white Feroza jeep to pay
for a Peugeot sedan they had planned to buy from PT Astra Prima.
Upon entering the parking lot, two men on a Yamaha RX King
motorcycle held a machete to her neck and robbed her," Rycko told
reporters.

Sa and Mo are also suspected of a robbery on Jan. 21, in which
four men with helmets and black jackets riding on two motorcycles
robbed a man of a bag containing Rp 85 million.

Rycko added that armed robberies against city residents,
particularly bank customers, frequently occur at midday on Friday
when the streets are busy with Muslims, including police
officers, who temporarily leave work for Friday noon prayers.
(ylt)