Three Thieves In Cross-Province ATM Block Mode Arrested By Cirebon Police

Cirebon City Police Chief AKBP Fahri Siregar (second right) shows evidence in the form of dozens of ATM cards in Cirebon, West Java, Monday (1/8/2022). (ANTARA/Khaerul Izan)

CIREBON - The Cirebon City Police Criminal Investigation Unit Team, West Java, arrested three thieves with an automatic teller machine (ATM) jam mode and they were recidivists of the same case.

"We have arrested three suspected cross-provincial thieves," said Cirebon City Police Chief AKBP Fahri Siregar as reported by ANTARA, Monday, August 1.

According to him, the three suspects are named Syahrudin, Ahmadi, and Agus. All three are residents of Pringsewu Regency, Lampung.

Fahri said the three suspects were proven to have committed theft by using a toothpick to block the ATM machine of a bank in Cirebon City.

The three suspects, continued Fahri, have their respective roles, for the suspect Syahrudin to plug the hole in the ATM machine using a toothpick, and then wait for the victim.

"After the suspect propped up the ATM using a toothpick, then waited for the victim, after someone was about to take money, couldn't insert the ATM card. Then the suspect pretended to help, and immediately replaced the ATM card with the suspect's," he said.

Furthermore, said Fahri, the suspect Syahrudin contacted Ahmadi to approach the victim who was about to withdraw money, by peeking at the victim's ATM pin number.

After knowing the victim's ATM pin, Fahri continued, the suspect immediately rushed to find another ATM machine not far from the location, and transferred the victim's money to the suspect's account.

"As a result, the victim suffered a loss of up to Rp. 71 million," he said.

The suspects are recidivist of the same case, and they even committed trans-provincial crimes.

The three suspects were arrested while in Surakarta City, Central Java, and are suspected of committing the same crime.

"We confiscated evidence in the form of 22 ATM cards from various banks, cell phones and cars. As a result, our suspect was charged with Article 363 of the Criminal Code with a threat of seven years in prison," he said.