Criminologist Reveals Three Main 'Weapons' Used by Robbers on Jakarta's Streets

Jakarta, Kompas.com - A criminologist and professor of FISIP at the University of Indonesia, Adrianus Meliala, has revealed three main patterns frequently used by perpetrators of robbery and mugging on Jakarta’s streets. ‘Robbers and muggers rely on speed, unpredictability, and intimidation. Those three factors are indeed hard to counter, especially for someone walking alone on a quiet street at night,’ Adrianus told Kompas.com on Tuesday (19 May 2026).

These patterns often leave victims with little time to react, particularly when the perpetrators arrive suddenly and carry sharp weapons.

Adrianus says that as long as these crime patterns remain effective, robberies and muggings will continue to recur on the streets. Therefore, he urged the public to avoid travelling alone, especially on quiet streets at night.

‘Measures to avoid becoming a victim should counter these tactics: don’t walk alone, especially on lonely streets or at night,’ he said.

Adrianus’s comments come amid a rise in street robberies and muggings in Jakarta over recent weeks. For example, in West Jakarta, motorbike theft with alleged armed threats occurred on Jalan Duri Raya in Kebon Jeruk. Similar incidents occurred in the Gunung Sahari area, Central Jakarta, where four perpetrators armed with sickles robbed two teenagers of motorcycles and mobile phones on a quiet street at night.