Two Cipinang And Cilegon Prison Recidivists Break Into 4 Empty Houses In West Jakarta

Two suspects in the theft of an empty house in West Jakarta/ Photo: IST

Two specialists in the theft of empty houses (rumsong) were arrested by members of the West Jakarta Metro Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Thursday, November 6.

The two suspects are recidivists. The suspect with the initials DK alias E is known to have been detained in Cipinang Prison in 2006.

Meanwhile, suspect AS alias A was detained in Cilegon Prison in 2020.

West Jakarta Metro Police Deputy Chief AKBP Tri Suhartanto said the two perpetrators had a distinctive way of carrying out their actions.

They toured using motorbikes together, looking for houses that looked uninhabited.

"Their mode is simple, looking for empty houses by rotating in the West Jakarta area. Usually they see a house with lights running until noon, it's a sign that the house is empty," he told reporters, Thursday, November 6.

From the results of the investigation, the perpetrator admitted that he had broken into at least four houses in the Kembangan area, Cengkareng, to Grogol Petamburan.

Valuables such as cash, jewelry, and motorized vehicles were targeted by them.

"The loss of victims varies, ranging from Rp. 30 million to Rp. 50 million. They take anything that can be sold, from gold to vehicles," he said.

The actions of the two suspects were not carried out with complicated planning. They pretended to visit the house that had been targeted, then when there was no answer from the inside, the perpetrator immediately pryed the door and entered.

For their actions, the two suspects were charged with Article 363 of the Criminal Code concerning theft with weight, with a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

The Deputy Chief of Police appealed to the public to always be vigilant, especially when leaving the house empty.

"Make sure the house is locked tightly, turn off the lights during the day, and notify the neighbors or local security," he said.