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"The money belonged to the Tanjung Priok BRI office, which was withdrawn from the central bank on Jl.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)