[Kabar-indonesia] Gunslinging gang hijacks ATM van in Jakarta

[Joyo at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post
Monday, October 9, 2006

Gunslinging gang hijacks ATM van 

Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Heavily armed robbers hijacked a van carrying Rp 3.5 billion (US$350,000) for 
the automatic teller machines of a private bank Sunday morning in Cawang, 
East Jakarta. 

Victims said six robbers, armed with revolvers, grenades and handcuffs, 
ambushed the modified Toyota Kijang van, which belonged to cash delivery company PT 
Ammorindo Artha. The van was carrying money meant for several Bank Central 
Asia ATMs located in East and North Jakarta. 

Jagakarsa Police subprecinct chief Comr. Apollo Sinambela confirmed the 
incident and said the victims and witnesses were being questioned. 

"The perpetrators meticulously planned the crime beforehand. They knew when 
the delivery would be made so they followed the van from where it left," Apollo 
said. 

Three Ammorindo Artha employees, Abdul Wahab, 30, Agustian, 25, and 
Apriliana, 19, accompanied by security guard Welo, 34, and driver Yongki, 34, left 
Wisma BCA in Slipi, West Jakarta, in the van at 6 a.m. They were headed for BCA 
ATMS in East Jakarta's Ramayana Center, along with Alfamart and Mal Artha Gading 
in North Jakarta. 

Abdul said the Kijang had been modified to carry cash by fitting it with a 
locked safe. He also told Detikcom that the group had stopped in Cawang to fix a 
flat tire. 

As the van restarted its trip, he said, a Suzuki Baleno sedan drove up to it, 
forcing the driver to stop. Three people got out of the sedan, Abdul said, 
and pointed a gun at Yongki. 

"They were carrying guns, grenades and handcuffs," Abdul said, as quoted by 
the newsportal. Abdul, who held the keys to the safe, was then taken to the 
sedan, while Welo and Apriliana were handcuffed and locked inside the van. 

The robbers forced Yongki to drive the van to a vacant lot in Depok, near the 
University of Indonesia. The driver of the sedan followed the van. 

Once they had stopped, the robbers forced Abdul to given them the keys to the 
safe and took seven bags of money, each containing Rp 500 million. 

They then handcuffed Abdul, Agustian, Apriliani, Welo and Yongki inside the 
van and left them. The victims were found at 8 a.m. by residents, who then 
called the Jagakarsa Police. 

The robbery was the second van hijacking this year. In January, a man 
believed to have been posing as a police officer and several accomplices stole Rp 
2.46 billion from the van they had been hired to guard. The van had not been 
modified for security in an effort to avoid unwanted attention. 

Two of the perpetrators were caught, while the police officer remains at 
large. Senior police officials believe the man used a fake police identity card to 
register with the delivery company and deny providing any officers for the 
company's use. 

The police encourage companies and individuals to alert them if they are in 
need of an escort. The service is free. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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