Robbers shot businessman dead for Rp 30m

JAKARTA (JP): Four men shot dead and robbed a bank customer of Rp 30 million (US$12,765) yesterday as Jakarta's recent spate of armed robberies continued.

The victim, Hasan Said, was attacked in The Exim Bank's parking lot on Jl. Merdeka Selatan, in Central Jakarta, when he was about to deposit the money.

Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. M. Ibrahim said Hasan Said, 35, died after the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's doctors failed to remove a bullet from his chest.

"We are still hunting for the suspects who escaped on two motorcycles," Ibrahim said.

He said Hasan who was accompanied by his brother-in-law Yono Mursito had just withdrawn Rp 110 million from Bank Duta's headquarters on Jl. Kebon Sirih and deposited Rp 70 million at Bank Duta's Jatinegara branch.

Hasan, the director of a travel agency PT Norhana Pertiwi wanted to deposit the remaining Rp 30 million at Bank Exim on Jl. Merdeka Selatan.

However, four unidentified men approached Yono, 24, as he was about to leave his Kijang van and demanded the money.

"One of the robbers slashed Yono's right hand with a machete as he tried to resist, while another pointed a gun to Hasan who tried to help Yono," Ibrahim said.

The robber shot Hasan in the chest as he tried to help Yono keep hold of the bag which contained Rp 30 million, Ibrahim said.

It was the third armed robbery in Central Jakarta during the last three weeks.

On Oct. 30, two men robbed a PT Chandra Kanta Sentosa employee, on Jl. Cokroaminoto, in Menteng, of Rp 115 million.

One of the robbers threatened Sutarman with a gun as he and his friend, Yose, were about to leave their car. The robbers escaped on a motorcycle while firing shots into the air.

Six men robbed a construction company's office on Jl. Cempaka Putih Tengah of Rp 125 million on Nov. 1. The robbers who pretended to be the PT Wira Matra Guna's workers threatened the company's cashiers with a gun and machetes.

Police arrested five of the six robbers at a railway station in Tangerang on Nov. 3. (jun)