Police Arrest Burglar of Dozens of Empty Houses in Central Java-East Java

SURABAYA - The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimum) of the East Java Regional Police has arrested a gang of specialists in breaking into empty houses across provinces who acted in 13 crime scenes (TKP) in East Java and Central Java.

Head of Public Relations of the East Java Police, Kombes Jules Abraham Abast, said that the four suspects who were arrested were initials J, SBD, MS, and GPN, while another perpetrator with the initials HEM was still on the wanted list (DPO).

"The perpetrator uses certain tools and takes advantage of the empty house condition. The community needs to increase vigilance and strengthen the environmental security system," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 5.

Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation of the East Java Police, AKBP Umar, explained that the plot was a group of specialists who had acted in at least 13 crime scenes in a number of areas.

"The perpetrators target empty houses. From the results of the examination, they acted in Gresik, Sidoarjo, Pasuruan, Madiun, Nganjuk, Malang, to Ngawi, even to the Central Java region," he said.

The disclosure of the case began with a report of theft in Porong, Sidoarjo Regency, on April 6, 2026. Based on the results of the investigation, the police carried out a pursuit until they finally arrested the perpetrators in Karawang, West Java.

"The arrest was made in Karawang after the development of the results of the investigation in the field," he said.

From the suspect's hands, the police confiscated evidence in the form of one car unit, motorcycle, mobile phone, machete, gold bars, watches, and a number of stolen household appliances.

AKBP Umar added that the perpetrators had the same modus operandi, namely targeting empty houses, jumping over the fence, then breaking the back door with a machete.

"The perpetrators usually act in the afternoon to the afternoon after making sure the house is empty, then take valuables," he said.

For their actions, the suspects were charged with theft with the burden as stipulated in Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP) with a minimum sentence of five years in prison.