Two passerby shot in robbery attempt

JAKARTA (JP): Two armed men, frustrated after failing to rob two private firm employees, allegedly shot at one of the targeted victims but the bullets hit two passersby in Pancoran, South Jakarta, yesterday.

City Police Spokesman Maj. Nyoman Suriasta said the robbers approached Priono and Mikroword who had stopped their jeep in the parking lot of their office, PT Puri Fajar Mandiri, on Jl. Warung Jati Barat.

"The firm employees had just withdrawn Rp 15.4 million (US$6,302) from Bank Central Asia on Jl. Warung Buncit.

"One of the suspects pointed a sickle at Priono and demanded his plastic bag containing the money," Nyoman said.

After a struggle between the two men, some of the money fell out of the plastic bag, Nyoman said.

Priono, 29, ran to a security post in the area and told a security guard to close the parking lot gate.

Mikroword, 30, was in the car when the shooting took place.

Two men who were buying gasoline in front of the office were shot by stray bullets. A bullet hit the left hand of Ayub Nur, 34, a resident of Jl. Banjar Kaum, East Jakarta, while another bullet hit Ahmad Fauzi in the left hand and back. Ahmad Fauzi is a university student living on Jl. Kayu Manis, East Jakarta.

The two suspects escaped, while Ayub and Ahmad were rushed to Siaga Hospital in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.

Judging from the shell found at the scene of crime, police determined that the gun used by the suspect was of an FN type.

"We don't know yet if it is a model usually used by the Indonesian military. Let's wait for the ballistics report," Nyoman said.

There have been two successful armed robberies of bank customers this year.

On Monday, two armed men robbed a Dutchman who had just changed currency totaling Rp 2 million at a bank on Jl. KH. Mas Mansyur in Central Jakarta. Bernard Suizzenaar's left hand was slashed by one of the robbers.

The robbers are still at large. (jun)