Two armed robberies occur within 13 hours
JAKARTA (JP): Two armed robberies took place in the city within 13 hours, leaving four people injured. More than Rp 50 million in cash was stolen and at least three cars were damaged.
The first robbery took place at around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Hero Supermarket on Jl. Raya Kali Malang, East Jakarta and the second occurred at 11:30 a.m. yesterday in the parking lot of the Ministry of Transportation on Jl. Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta.
Yesterday's robbery was reportedly committed by at least two people, armed with a gun and a sickle, riding on a motorcycle.
"It is believed they followed the victims, four employees of the ministry, after they left a bank on Jl. Thamrin," a ministry employee said.
As the employees arrived at the ministry parking lot, the two men intercepted the car, opened the doors and grabbed the Rp 50 million after slashing the driver's fingers and pointing the gun at the others, the witness said.
One of the robbers on the motorcycle fired a shot into the air before taking the bag containing the cash, other witnesses said.
The money was supposed to be used to finance trips of the ministry's high-ranking officials to Irian Jaya, sources at the ministry said.
"We're still hunting the suspects and studying their motives," City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata told reporters yesterday evening.
Masks
Police quoted witnesses as saying that the supermarket robbery involved at least three masked armed men in a car.
"We still don't know anything about the type of guns used," Hamami said, adding that a total of 14 cartridges found at the scene are being examined by the National Police Forensic Laboratory Center for further identification.
However, witnesses said that the robbers were equipped with automatic rifles, believed to be an FN and AK 47.
Based on witnesses' information, police assume that the three masked robbers came into the supermarket, which was almost closed, with guns in their hands.
As one of the masked man went to the cashier and stole a bundle of money amounting Rp 260,000, the other robbers stood at the front and back doors.
"Unfortunately, their presence caused the employees and customers, who were about to leave the supermarket, to panic," said a witness, who is also the supermarket's employee.
Intending to stop the commotion, the robbers on guard at the front door fired shots, forcing the people in the supermarket onto their knees.
Soon after the shots, the witnesses said, the group immediately got into their car. An ojek (a motorcycle taxi) driver, who saw the incident, threw a stone at the robbers' car to express his anger.
"One of the robbers replied to the stone with a shot which hit the ojek driver in the stomach," said a police detective.
According to chief Hamami, two other people, consisting of the supermarket's security guard and an employee of a Dunkin Doughnut coffee shop in the supermarket, were also injured by stray bullets. (bsr/jun)