Be Alert, When MotoGP 2022 Later Pickpockets In Southeast Asia Gather At The Mandalika Circuit

Head of Public Relations of the NTB Polda Kombes Pol Artanto (second right) with the NTB Police Director General of Police Kombes Pol Hari Brata (second left) (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Security officers guarding the upcoming 2022 MotoGP event at the Mandalika Circuit, West Nusa Tenggara, must be vigilant. Pickpockets from Southeast Asia have been eyeing this celebration to carry out their request.

This was revealed after the police managed to arrest four members of a pickpocket syndicate from Jakarta who were caught stealing spectators' cellphones during the 2021 World Superbike (WSBK) event at the Mandalika Circuit last. They 'singing' when they have made a big plan to launch their action in the 2022 MotoGP event.

"They plan to invite 'pickpocket players' from Malaysia, Turkey, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines, during the 2022 MotoGP," said the Director General of Police of NTB, Police Commissioner Hari Brata, in Mataram, Tuesday, November 23.

"For the first group of four, they took action on Sunday (11/21). There are two crime scenes, first in the stands and the other at Epicentrum Mataram Mall. The total evidence is four cellphones," he said.

The second group with four perpetrators whose identities have not been disclosed, launched their actions on Saturday (20/11). "This second group stole the cellphones of Japanese journalists. We have just named them as suspects," he said.

He said that the roles of each actor for the first group have been revealed. Each member has different skills. Starting from the diversion, the executor, to the one who acts as a tracer of the action.

In the action of pickpocketing cellphones at the WSBK event, they participated in watching and mingling with the audience and taking advantage of the crowd situation. The psychological condition of the victims who are easily careless, so the targets of their actions, especially women.

The identity of the first group of pickpockets from Jakarta was revealed to be related by blood. They are DC (45) who is the husband of LA (41), along with their daughter with the initials DA (24). Meanwhile, another woman has the initials AW (34).

Their role was revealed after one of them was caught red-handed in action in the turquoise green ticket stands, right on the last day of the WSBK event, Sunday (21/11).

"So they are all international pickpocket networks. They usually play in the Batam area. They have also been in Macau, Sepang Circuit, Singapore," he said.