IDR 2.7 Million Thief From The Isolation Room For COVID-19 Patients At Pirngadi Hospital, Medan, Arrested

MEDAN - The East Medan Police Criminal Investigation Unit team arrested a man who allegedly stole money in the isolation room for a COVID-19 patient at the Pirngadi General Hospital in Medan.

The theft at Pirngadi Hospital in Medan went viral on social media last April. The perpetrator named Sastro Wijoyo Lumban Tobing (40) who was arrested was a resident of Ngalengko Street, East Medan District.

East Medan Police Chief, Police Commissioner M Arifin, accompanied by the Iptu Head of Criminal Investigation, JB Simamora, said that after the viral theft, the East Medan Police Criminal Detective immediately carried out an investigation.

"We then carried out an investigation", said Arifin, Tuesday, May 4.

After several days of investigating, the officers finally found out the identity of the perpetrator.

"We'll see from the video to find out the perpetrator", said Arifin.

Officers arrested the perpetrator at a location not far from his residence. When arrested, the perpetrator said Arifin admitted his actions.

"He confessed his actions and we brought them to Commands' office", he said.

From the results of the examination, the suspect did not realize that this room was the isolation area for COVID-19 patients.

"When passing by the perpetrator saw the victim's bag, then entered the room and took money from the bag as much as IDR 2,700,000", said Arifin.

To investigators, the suspect admitted that he had only committed theft at the hospital belonging to the Medan City Government.

"From the information from the hospital, we have often lost it. So we are still developing it again. We suspect that the perpetrator has had more than one theft", he said.

Apart from the perpetrators, the officers confiscated evidence of shorts and flash drives containing CCTV footage. "We have confiscated evidence", he said.

The perpetrator admitted that the stolen money was used to pay rent for the house. "To pay rent for the house", said the perpetrator.

It was reported earlier that a man was caught on a CCTV camera taking money in one of the rooms of the Regional General Hospital Dr. Pirngadi Medan.

The victim named Ilham, a resident of Medan Tembung District, admitted that he lost ID 2,700,000. This video is also viral on social media.