The Metro Jaya Police are actively investigating a recent high-profile snatching incident involving a foreign national near the iconic Bundaran HI roundabout in Central Jakarta. Authorities are intensifying their efforts to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the brazen street crime.
During a press conference held at the Metro Jaya Police headquarters on Friday, May 15, the Director of General Criminal Investigation for the Metro Jaya Police, Senior Commissioner Imanuddin, confirmed the ongoing pursuit. “We inform you that our teams are currently in hot pursuit of the suspected perpetrators involved in the snatching targeting the foreign national,” Imanuddin stated.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, May 14, was captured on camera and subsequently went viral across various social media platforms. The widely circulated video depicts the foreign victim walking alone along the roadside, holding their mobile phone, before a perpetrator on a motorcycle swiftly snatched the device and fled the scene.
Further details were provided by the Menteng Metro Police Chief, AKBP Braiel Arnold Rondonuwu, who identified the victim as an Italian national. The stolen item was a single unit of a Motorola Neo 60 mobile phone.
This latest event follows a similar occurrence on Sunday, April 19, when a 26-year-old German national named Robin was a victim of snatching in front of Santa Ursula Elementary School in Pasar Baru, Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta. In that separate case, police successfully apprehended two suspects in Rawa Badak, North Jakarta, on Wednesday, April 22.
Addressing concerns about a potential pattern of targeting foreign nationals in these repeated snatching cases, the police maintain there is no organized criminal network specifically preying on them. Imanuddin clarified that these incidents appear to be random in nature.
“As of now, based on the results of our investigation, these are separate perpetrators. Furthermore, their targets are also random; it just so happened that the victims in these instances were foreign nationals,” Imanuddin concluded, emphasizing the lack of a coordinated effort against international visitors.
Summary
The Metro Jaya Police are currently conducting a manhunt for a suspect involved in the theft of an Italian national’s mobile phone near Bundaran HI, Central Jakarta. The incident, which occurred on May 14, was captured on video and went viral, showing the perpetrator snatching the device from the victim while riding a motorcycle. Authorities have confirmed that the investigation is actively ongoing to apprehend the individual responsible for the crime.
Police officials have clarified that these recent street crimes appear to be random incidents rather than the work of an organized criminal syndicate targeting foreign nationals. While similar cases have occurred previously, investigations suggest that the perpetrators in each instance are acting independently. The police remain committed to maintaining public safety and continuing their pursuit of suspects involved in these snatching cases.