Hypnotic Kompolotan Tricked Rp190 Million Victims Arrested by Barelang Police

ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH

BATAM - The Barelang Police, Riau Islands, arrested a hypnotist gang consisting of three people who cheated victims to a loss of Rp. 190 million.

The arrest of the three hypnotists was carried out by the Lubuk Baja Police, Polresta Barelang. Lubuk Baja Police Chief Kompol Deni Langie confirmed in Batam, Tuesday, that the perpetrators were arrested in Denpasar, Bali within 1x24 hours.

"Our perpetrators were arrested in Denpasar, Bali," said Deni, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, January 27.

The incident occurred at the Grand Batam Mall shopping center on Saturday (24/1). The victim is a doctor with the initials DLA from Tanjungpinang.

The Lubuk Baja Police received a report from Nanda, while the three male suspects were named Tomi Arianto, Sri Firdaus, and Joy Sky.

The modus operandi of the perpetrator hypnotizing the victim is done by saying that the victim has a curse or a curse and the perpetrator can cure it with various conditions.

"The perpetrator said he could cure and asked the victim to remove his jewelry, and his ATM, because it was considered to interfere with the healing process," he said.

The victim handed over his personal belongings such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, BRI ATMs, BCA ATMs to the perpetrator. After that, the perpetrator asked the victim not to open his mobile banking before 2x24 hours.

"The perpetrator also asked the victim not to open the package he gave before 2x24 hours. After that, the perpetrator left the victim," he said.

The victim only realized the next day, Sunday (25/1), immediately checked the balance in his bank account, which he found was missing and saw that the package given by the perpetrator turned out to be only a glass bracelet.

Due to this incident, the victim reported to the Lubuk Baja Police the same day.

"From the examination, we conducted an investigation. It was found that the victim suffered a loss of Rp. 190 million," he said.

As a result of the investigation, the Lubuk Police Criminal Investigation Unit, led by Criminal Investigation Unit Iptu Noval Adiman Ardianto, received information that the perpetrator took the victim's money out of Batam City with the intention of Denpasar, Bali.

The team departed for Denpasar, Bali, on Monday (26/1) and arrived at 23.00 WIB then investigated the location of the perpetrator's whereabouts, until his whereabouts were found in one of the hotels in the West Denpasar District.

"The arrest was made this morning at 02.30 WIB against the perpetrator Tomi Arianto, then the development was made to arrest two other perpetrators in a hotel room. And the three perpetrators were taken to the Lubuk Baja Police to be examined," he said.

From the suspect's hands, the police secured three mobile phone evidence units, two ATM cards in the victim's name, and one gold letter belonging to the victim.

The perpetrator was charged with Article 492 of the Indonesian Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code with a maximum penalty of four years in prison.