Viral Recorded By CCTV, Women's Thief In Bandung Finally Arrested

BANDUNG - The Criminal Investigation Unit of the Batununggal Police, supported by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Bandung Police, arrested a woman who had repeated thieves with her custodian in a theft case in Cikupareuh, Bandung, which went viral a few days ago.

Bandung Police Chief Kombes Pol Budi Sartono said that the recurrence thief on behalf of Novita Sari Dewi and her collector named Delfi Candri alias Heri was arrested in different places after the authorities conducted a crime scene investigation and further investigation into the victim's statement and CCTV evidence.

"After processing the crime scene, which was reinforced by CCTV footage that recorded the crime of theft, the team was arrested by suspect Novita in Padalarang, West Bandung and its custodian Heri in Tegalega in the last few days along with evidence of a cell phone and a pink Cardigan shirt worn by the perpetrator," Budi said at the Batununggal Police Headquarters, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 9.

The case that ensnared the two suspects was the incident on Monday (1/5) at 13.37 WIB at a house as well as the pet shop on Jalan Cikupareuh Kolot, Cibangkong, Batununggal, Bandung City, the perpetrators of Novita entered the house through the unlocked main door.

The perpetrator then took the cash that was in the victim's bag in the front room as well as a pet shop, which was followed by the taking of two cellphones stored on the floor and on the middle room seat of the house being charged.

"For this incident, the victim suffered a loss of around Rp. 3.5 million," he said.

Budi said that the two suspects often worked together in several acts of theft before this incident, such as in January 2023 the perpetrator Novita took the Oppo A16 cellphone from inside the shop, then in February 2023 the perpetrator took the Oppo A1K cellphone from one house.

Then in March 2023 in Cijerah the perpetrator took the Oppo A1K cellphone from inside the house, and in April 2023 in Sukajadi took the Oppo A5s cellphone from inside the house.

"In addition, the perpetrators of Novita also committed several more thefts with the same mode since January 2023 which were sold to Topan (DPO) brothers in the Cimahi area," he said.

For their actions, the two suspects were threatened with Article 363 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code and Article 480 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code with a maximum penalty of seven years.