Alfamart Employee In Palembang Breaks Into Safe, Steals IDR 60 Million To Pay Online Loans

Palembang Police personnel interrogated the suspect DN, a retail shop employee who stole money in a shop safe (ANTARA/M. Riezko Bima Elko P.)

PALEMBANG - Investigators from Polrestabes Palembang, South Sumatra, revealed that a retail shop employee was determined to break into the safe where she works to pay debts of online loans.

"The suspect admitted to stealing money from the office's safe. According to her confession, that is (she has loans). However, the investigation process is still ongoing," said the Head of the Palembang Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Kompol Haris Dinzah, as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, February 8.

Haris explained that the suspect is a woman with the initials DN (24), a resident of Pulau Harapan Village, Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra.

DN was arrested by Satreskrim Polrestabes Palembang personnel at her place of work, namely the Alfamart retail store, on Panca Usaha Street, Jakabaring, Palembang, at around 08.00 WIB, Wednesday (8/2).

The arrest was made after the police followed up on a report of a burglary of Alfamart's money safe that was discovered on Tuesday morning (7/2). Due to the burglary of the safe, Alfamart in Panca Usaha Street admitted that they lost IDR 60 million in cash.

Regarding the report, the police conducted a crime scene (TKP), collected witness statements, and collected evidence.

"Then, when the personnel and the company examined all the female employees there, DN admitted what she had done," said Haris.

DN was immediately taken to the Palembang Polrestabes for further questioning. To investigators, the suspect admitted to taking money from one of the safes by damaging the key on Monday evening (6/2) when all her co-workers were outside the shop.

Then, DN also took Digital Video Recorder (DVR) surveillance cameras (CCTV) in the store to erase his traces.

When they were searched, the police found the remaining IDR 48 million stolen from the suspect's hands and a CCTV DVR unit stored under the seat of her motorbike. Some of the stolen money was used by the suspect to pay loan debts.

"That was the case, according to the suspect's confession. This case is still under our development," he said.

Haris added that he did not rule out the involvement of other actors in the case. For her actions, the suspect DN was charged with violating Article 363 of the Criminal Code paragraph (1) concerning theft which carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years.