ASN Gadungan who deceived residents in Lawang Malang was arrested, taking Rp22.7 million

MALANG - The Malang Police have arrested two state civil servants from the East Java Provincial Government, namely H (41) and B (30) who are suspected of committing fraud in the UMKM program to 227 residents of Sumberporong Village, Lawang, Malang Regency.

"The two suspects (H and B) admitted that they were from the East Java Regional Owned Enterprises (BUMD) PT Baruna and carried out socialization of the UMKM program. There are already 227 people who have paid," said Wakapolres Malang Kompol Fahmi Amarullah as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 24.

The police stated that the BUMD used, namely PT Baruna, was based on the results of the company's investigation that it was fictitious.

The disclosure of the case and the arrest of the two suspects began on June 3, 2026, when H and B had met with the head and staff of Sumberporong Village to convey the plan to carry out the socialization of the business development program by PT Baruna.

The two suspects also attached a notification letter regarding the agenda.

On June 8, 2026, suspect B sent a fake letter of assignment from the Governor of East Java to the Sumberporong Village apparatus via the WhatsApp application and was continued by H who sent a physical printed letter containing the schedule for the implementation of the UMKM socialization on June 10, 2026 to the local village apparatus.

In order to be more convincing to village officials and the community, the two perpetrators came using the attributes of ASN of the East Java Provincial Government, ranging from uniforms to identification marks.

The socialization agenda was carried out according to schedule, namely June 10, 2026. At that time, the suspects said that PT Baruna planned to form a cooperative and for residents who were willing to join as members, they had to pay a principal deposit of Rp. 100 thousand and would be given an membership card (KTA).

All victims were also promised to get ease of handling permits and business assistance from the local provincial government.

Suspect H also conveyed the membership quota for Sumberporong Village of 200 people. The head of the local village first paid the membership fee for hundreds of people worth Rp. 20 million.

"In addition, there are 27 other residents who have registered themselves," he said.

The two perpetrators also reaped money worth Rp. 22,700,000 from the results of carrying out the fraud.

The two perpetrators were arrested after carrying out a similar socialization program for residents in Brongkal Village, Pagelaran District, Malang Regency, on June 22, 2026.

The two suspects have not reaped any profits from the action in Brongkal Village.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Malang Police Criminal Investigation Unit, AKP Hafiz Prasetia Akbar, added that in this case, the suspect H admitted to being the main director and B admitted to being the commissioner of PT Baruna to the village apparatus.

"Who made the letter (false notification and duty letter) B by editing it through a mobile phone," he said.

The police arrested H and B using Article 492 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP) with a maximum penalty of four years in prison.