Robbers shoot victim, get away with Rp 180m

JAKARTA (JP): While police and senior city officials were discussing plans to crack down on street crimes, an audacious robbery took place on Monday in the busy Tebet area of South Jakarta, during which a man was shot in the leg and Rp 180 million (US$21,176) stolen by the criminals.

Tebet police Second Insp. Darmono said the incident took place at around 11:00 a.m. near the Bidakara building when two employees of PT Citra Setya Sapta, Hanityo and Zurini Farida Hamlah, were en route to a BCA bank in Tebet.

Both Hanityo and Zurini were believed to have been followed by the robbers, four men riding two RX-King motorcycles, after leaving Bank Mandiri on Jl. M.T. Haryono in Tebet, where the money was withdrawn.

"The company's money, Rp 178 million, was to be deposited at BCA bank's Bidakara branch, located near the Bidakara building," Darmono said.

When the company's car, an Escudo jeep, passed Jl. Catur, near the BCA bank, the motorcyclists blocked it in front and behind.

"The motorcyclists even deliberately hit the jeep from behind to make it stop," Darmono added.

One of the robbers shot the side of the jeep four times, injuring Hanityo, 48, in his left thigh.

"The robbers took two bags from the car, one containing the Rp 178 million and another containing Rp 2 million belonging to Zurini," Darmono said.

Witnesses reported that the robbers were seen waiting outside the bank and started their motorcycles as soon as the two men got into their parked car, police said.

At around the same time as the robbery, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Yacoeb held a meeting with Jakarta Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo, Jakarta deputy governor Abdul Kahfi and other officials to discuss operations to crack down on street crimes.

Sofjan said the operation had not yet been officially launched but its promotion throughout the force was underway.

Among the initiatives to be implemented through the operation is the use of plain-clothed officers deployed in "areas prone to crime" in Jakarta.

"The officers are tasked with handling crime, including taking maximum measures against criminals caught red-handed," Sofjan said, referring to the shoot-on-sight order. (emf)