East Java Police Officer Uses Personal Funds for Rp20 Million Bounty on Suspect in Bangkalan Official's Murder

Aipda Sigit Dwi Susanto, Head of the Operations Team for the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the East Java Regional Police, has confirmed that the Rp20 million bounty offered for information on the whereabouts of Erlan, a murder suspect, came from his personal funds and voluntary contributions, not from the police institution. Sigit, who is widely known by the nickname ‘Hellboy’, stated that the idea for the reward originated from a prominent figure who contacted him after observing the team’s success in solving other murder cases in Lumajang and Sidoarjo. ‘From the beginning, we said the funds were personal,’ Sigit told CNNIndonesia.com on Thursday (9/7). He explained that the bounty was announced via a video on TikTok, where he clearly stated the money was from private sources. The initiative aims to restrict the suspect’s movement, as Erlan is believed to be frequently relocating after his identity and video footage went viral on social media. Sigit added that since the bounty was announced, the police have received numerous tips from the public, which are currently being investigated. The case involves the murder of RYS, a 51-year-old secretary of the Bangkalan Housing and Settlement Office, whose body was found in his official car at Juanda Airport on 24 June. The victim’s family lawyer, Risang Bima Wijaya, revealed that the suspect, Erlan, is believed to be from South Sulawesi and has a history of fraud. He is suspected of using a love scam to get close to the victim, and was last seen with the victim on CCTV footage in the Malang and Batu areas before the body was discovered.