Shoplifter Specialist Arrested while Hiding in a Contracted Area of Kelapa Gading

JAKARTA - The Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of the East Jakarta Metro Police arrested a suspect who specializes in breaking into shops by breaking the ceiling of the store roof. The suspect is a specialist in shoplifting in the East Jakarta area.

The suspect with the initials RT was arrested at his rented house in the Kelapa Gading area, North Jakarta.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of East Jakarta Metro Police, AKBP Bayu Kurniawan said the disclosure of this case began with the victim's report to the Pasar Rebu Police on April 28.

"At that time, the victim came to open his shop. But how surprised when the victim found that the condition of the shop was damaged, the ceiling of the shop was broken by the perpetrator," said AKBP Bayu, Sunday, May 3, 2026.

After the victim checked, it turned out that a number of items belonging to the store were stolen by thieves. The missing items are laptops, cellphones, 16 vocers from various operators.

From the CCTV footage at the location, it can be seen that the perpetrator entered the counter through the ceiling by damaging the top of the ceiling. The perpetrator then took items that were easy to sell.

After receiving the report of the theft, the East Jakarta Metro Police Criminal Investigation Unit conducted an investigation. Based on the identification from the CCTV, the team finally arrested the perpetrator in the Kelapa Gading area.

"The suspect committed theft twice in East Jakarta, one of which occurred in Cipayung with the target of a Vape store," he said.

Meanwhile, the modus operandi of the perpetrator is that the perpetrator targets shops that are quiet at night and early morning.

"He entered by damaging the top of the ceiling and taking items that were easy to sell. A single perpetrator," he said.

The perpetrator also admitted that he had committed two thefts in Pasar Rebo and Cipayung, East Jakarta.

"The perpetrator climbed up the roof and entered the roof, the method was the same. The perpetrator used the money from the crime for daily needs," he said.

As a result of his actions, the suspect was charged with Articles 477 and 476 of the Criminal Code with a threat of imprisonment of up to 7 years.