Knifepoint robbery in Gadong

A WOMAN was held at knifepoint and "tied up" in a robbery that took place at about 4.15pm yesterday in the busy commercial area of Gadong.

The victim, believed to be in her late 30s, was later treated for "minor injuries" at Ripas Hospital, but was too traumatised to give details on the incident, police said of initial investigations.

Police were notified of the incident by the public. The scene was soon cordoned off with police tape, as crime scene investigators set off to document and collect evidence and eyewitness accounts.

Based on the preliminary investigations, it was believed that the woman was withdrawing "a large sum of money" from a branch of a foreign bank near a local fast food restaurant, a spokesperson from the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) said.

She was then "followed" to her car parked near the restaurant across the street, less than 100 metres from the bank.

It was there inside the Volvo car that the robbery allegedly took place. A knife was used to threaten the victim into giving up the money. This deduction was made based on the nature of the woman's injury, explained RBPF's Acting Head of Public Relations Unit Pg Hj Abdul Salam Pg Hj Abdul Ghani. The victim was also "tied up with a rope", he added.

However, the RBPF did not confirm whether a lone robber or a group was behind the robbery.

An expatriate worker shared with The Brunei Times that he and other passengers on a public bus might have caught a glimpse of the crime as it was happening.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the foreign national recalled that he was on a purple bus heading out of Gadong when another passenger, an Indonesian national, drew his attention to what they thought was an argument happening inside a car.

As the bus was still moving, he said he could not see the occupants inside the car but noticed that both front doors were open. From his line of sight, he also saw another individual standing "a bit far" from the car, who also witnessed the incident.

"He was looking directly at the car. I don't know. He could've been one of them (an accomplice) or just a witness," he said.

The incident soon became talk of the town, particularly as it took place in "broad daylight" at such a busy commercial area. Talk of stabbing and even murder circulated on social networking platforms such as Twitter.

One user even speculated that the robbery might have been linked to a number of recent harrowing theft cases, as similarities arose between the weapons used, method and daring nature of the crimes.

"Robbery syndicate in Brunei? First Sungai Teraban, then ITB (Institut Teknologi Brunei), then Gadong... Apa kan Brunei ani? (What's going on in Brunei?)," said Twitterer @JuanStatus90.

Less than two weeks ago, seven Indonesian men were brought to the Magistrates' Court and charged with committing gang robbery armed with a deadly weapon in a house in Kg Sg Teraban, Kuala Belait, last month. In a letter to The Brunei Times, the RBPF lauded public cooperation in tipping off the police with information.

The police were still investigating yesterday's case as of press time. The Brunei Times