Police Arrest ATM Machine Thief Containing IDR 320 Million In Makassar DPRD After Mass Burning,

The suspect was presented during the disclosure of the riot case at the South Sulawesi Police Headquarters, Makassar, South Sulawesi. (ANTARA PHOTO/Hasrul Said)

Makassar Police revealed the theft of the Bank Sulselbar Cash Machine (ATM) at the Makassar City DPRD office after being burned by the masses by arresting four perpetrators and still chasing 16 other perpetrators.

"We have arrested four people, now there are 16 more. In total, approximately 20 people," said Makassar Police Chief Kombes Arya Perdana as reported by ANTARA, Monday, September 15.

He explained that the ATM machine contained around Rp320 million. The perpetrators forcibly dismantled and took the machine out of the Makassar DPRD building when the building was burning, then hijacked the car on Jalan Hertasning to be taken to a certain place.

The machine was then forcibly dismantled with a crowbar and a engine. The entire contents were taken and divided. After draining its contents, the perpetrators threw the carcass of the ATM machine safe into a swamp in Parangloe District, Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi.

The perpetrators later found out that they were not part of the demonstration group.

From their confession, they agreed to break into and dismantle the ATM machine and then took away. The money is divided into around Rp. 18 million per person.

"There has been an agreement, they brought a machine and a crowbar was used to dismantle the ATM machine. So, these people came with the intention of committing a criminal act of looting," said the Police Chief.

Perpetrators are subject to multiple layers of articles, namely Article 363 of the Criminal Code concerning theft and Article 170 of the Criminal Code concerning Damage together. The evidence confiscated was the carcass of the ATM machine.

For the arrest of the four people, said Arya, the number of suspects in the rioting and looting of the Makassar DPRD Office on Jalan Andi Pangeran Pettarani on Saturday (30/8) as many as 30 people is now being held at Tahti Polrestabes Makassar.

Kasubnit 2 Jatanras Polrestabes Makassar Iptu Nasrullah previously mentioned four looters accompanied by the theft of ATM safe machines with the initials MN (19), MH (26), AN (23) and MRS (19).

"The perpetrators were arrested in their respective homes in several locations in Makassar in the early hours of Saturday. The perpetrators admitted that they participated in breaking into and taking the ATM machine and its contents were divided into Rp. 18 million per person," said Nasrullah.

The Makassar Polrestabes Jatanras team continues to pursue several people suspected of being involved in the theft of the ATM machine. The disclosure of this case was due to the hard work of the Jatanras team on the investigation carried out non-stop after the riot incident.