Police Arrest Thief Mosque Charity Box Newly Freed From Prison

The perpetrator of the theft of the Lueng Bata mosque charity box, SF (center) when secured by the Banda Aceh Police Headquarters, in Banda Aceh, Tuesday (10/10/2023). ANTARA/HO-Humas Polresta Banda Aceh.

BANDA ACEH - Personnel from the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Lueng Bata Police, Banda Aceh City, Aceh Province again arrested a recidivist who stole a mosque charity box with the initials SF (33), the perpetrator was found to have only been released from prison for a week.

"After receiving the report, we immediately carried out an investigation until we finally arrested the perpetrator," said Lueng Bata Police Chief Iptu Rizu Fahmi, in Banda Aceh, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 10.

Rizu conveyed that the theft of money from the Jamik Lueng Bata mosque charity box was investigated based on reports from local mosque administrators.

Initially, he said, the mosque administrator caught SF in the mosque. When asked by the management he admitted that he had just finished praying and wanted to charge his cellphone.

Before being caught, the mosque management tried to catch the perpetrators who were suspected of returning to action.

"The mosque administrator is already suspicious that he is the culprit, it is suspected that he will act again, but the perpetrator argued that the CCTV footage shown was not him," he said.

Furthermore, said Rizu, the perpetrator pretended to want to call his family. Then, when the mosque management was careless, he immediately ran away.

After that, the perpetrator, who is a resident of Tangse, Pidie, was finally arrested at the Labi-Labi Keudah Terminal Complex, Baiturrahman District, Banda Aceh, Sunday (8/10).

From the results of the examination, it was known that SF had stolen the charity box twice at the mosque. Due to this incident, the mosque lost approximately Rp. 3 million.

The evidence that was secured was in the form of clothes worn by the perpetrators and CCTV footage that recorded the theft.

SF turned out to be a recidivist of the same case. In 2017, he served two years in prison at Lambaro Prison for the theft case at MIN Lambhuk.

In the same year, the perpetrator was also sentenced to six years in prison in Jantho for narcotics.

"The perpetrator has only been out of prison for a week and has committed another crime. Now the person concerned is still being detained and charged with Article 363 of the Criminal Code regarding theft," said Rizu Fahmi.