Action In 13 Places, Perpetrators Of Curanmor Lintas Sulsel Dibekuk

The suspect with the initials BT (center) was flanked by police officers when he was arrested at the house where he was hiding in Tompo Bulu District, Bantaeng Regency, South Sulawesi, Sunday (26/2/2023). (ANTARA)

The South Sulawesi Regional Police (Polda) arrested a gang of motor vehicle theft (curanmor) across districts by securing a perpetrator with the initials BT (37) in a house in Tompo Bulu District, Bantaeng Regency.

"As a result of criticizing the suspect BT, we received several information that 13 motorcycles in question had been received. The suspect is a motorcycle collector," said Panit III of the South Sulawesi Regional Police Resmob Ipda Abdilla Makmur, quoted by ANTARA, Sunday, February 26.

The arrest of the suspect was assisted by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Bulukumba Police after confirming the whereabouts of the perpetrators. This follows up on public reports of the loss of vehicles in the Bantaeng Regency and Bulukumba Regency areas.

"From the results of BT's further information, we conducted a sweep and managed to secure seven vehicles," said Abdilla.

During the arrest, the suspect struggled to escape, but was hugged by a number of gunmen after being removed from his hiding place. The suspect acted as a collector of stolen goods and at the same time ordered other perpetrators to steal motorbikes.

BT provides funds to other perpetrators to carry out the theft of motorbikes in Bantaeng and Bulukumba. Other stolen goods were purchased by BT worth Rp. 2 million and then resold for Rp. 2.5 million to Rp. 3 million.

The disclosure of this theft gang after the police arrested the suspect with the initials IP, known to have acted as a picker of stolen motorcycles, then sold them to BT, who had worked together for a long time.

From IP's information, so far, 13 motorcycles have been stolen in the Bulukumba and Bantaeng areas.

The perpetrators of BT along with evidence of seven motorcycles as a result of their crimes have been brought to the Bulukumba Police as evidence for further legal proceedings.