Police Arrest a Gang of Thieves in the Ganjal ATM Card Modus in Penjaringan Jakut

JAKARTA - The Metro Penjaringan Police Criminal Investigation Unit has managed to arrest two perpetrators of card theft at an ATM at a minimarket on Jalan Muara Baru, Penjaringan District, North Jakarta.

The two perpetrators are known as RPY (33) and ED (27). Both perpetrators were arrested after carrying out the theft of the victim's ATM card with the initials AH, a woman from Penjaringan.

"Yes, the Metro Penjaringan Police Criminal Investigation Unit team managed to carry out a forced arrest of two of the three perpetrators of the ATM theft modus, with the ATM ganjal modus," said the Head of the Metro Penjaringan Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Police Commissioner (Kompol) Sampson Sosa Hutapea to reporters, Monday, July 6, 2026, evening.

From the hands of the second suspect, evidence of dozens of ATM card units of various banks was seized.

Meanwhile, another perpetrator with the initials MT is still at large and is being pursued by the police.

"The evidence that was secured was 17 units of ATM cards of various types of banks, 1 toothpick, cash Rp. 450 thousand and one motorcycle belonging to the perpetrator. One perpetrator had fled and we are still developing this," he said.

The theft action carried out by the three perpetrators started from the victim who wanted to withdraw cash at an ATM machine in a minimarket.

"There are 3 perpetrators who are already in one of the minimarket ATMs. One perpetrator is already in position in front of the ATM, then the victim is behind. Then he is flanked again by the second perpetrator behind the victim," he said.

Then the first perpetrator put a toothpick into the ATM card hole in the machine. Then the victim tried to insert his card and it got stuck, so the perpetrator behind the victim offered help by saying 'Ma'am, I can help here'.

"When the card was handed over to this second perpetrator, the card was then exchanged by the perpetrator. When the card was exchanged by the perpetrator, the toothpick was also taken by the perpetrator. Then the card belonging to the perpetrator was inserted so that it entered (into the ATM machine)," he said.

Meanwhile, the original ATM card belonging to the victim is already in the hands of another perpetrator. When the victim inserted the ATM card that had been exchanged by the perpetrator, then the machine could not withdraw money.

"At that time the victim found out that the card he was holding was different. Then the victim shouted so that the local community managed to intercept the perpetrator, then contacted the Metro Penjaringan Police Criminal Investigation Unit," he said.

Both perpetrators were taken to the Penjaringan Police to be further examined.

"From the results of the examination of the perpetrator, when he was caught, he had only acted twice. On the same day they carried out the action in the West Jakarta area, then moved to our area. However, because he was caught in our area, we are the ones who process the enforcement of the law. Later we will coordinate with the Tambora Police," said the officer who graduated from Akpol 2013.

Currently, Kompol Sampson is still developing the two suspects to uncover the gang stealing the ganjal method and exchanging ATM cards.

"Because there are 17 ATM cards, we are still developing. The problem is that these ATM cards are private or personal, we are coordinating with each bank to find out the personal data of the ATM," he said.

The police suspect that the two perpetrators are an inter-district syndicate. The reason is that one of the perpetrators who is DPO is a resident of Lampung.

"We are still developing this, whether it is a network or a syndicate. But one of the perpetrators who fled is a resident of Lampung, possibly a syndicate. They are specialists," he said.

In one day, the group of perpetrators managed to carry out their actions in the Tambora area, West Jakarta and Penjaringan, North Jakarta.

"The victim at the Penjaringan crime scene has not yet happened (ATM theft). However, what has happened in the Tambora Police area is (the victim's loss) Rp. 450 thousand," he said.

As a result of his actions, the two perpetrators were charged with Article 476 Jo 477 of the Criminal Code regarding theft with a criminal threat of 5 to 9 years in prison.