Fake Police Officer Modus: Two Suspects in Student Motorcycle Robbery Arrested in Semarang

A case of theft using a modus operandi of posing as police officers, which caused fear among residents of Kaliwungu, Kendal Regency, Central Java, was solved by Kendal Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit. Two suspects were rounded up in Semarang after allegedly robbing a motorcycle and mobile phones from five teenagers from Kaliwungu. The incident occurred on 13 May 2026 around 20:00 local time in Kaliwungu to the Mororejo Village Hall area. Kendal Police Chief AKBP Hendry Susanto Sianipar said the suspects initially approached the victims, accusing them of assaulting a relative of the suspects. Posing as police officers, the perpetrators then intimidated the victims to comply with their commands. ‘The suspects used a modus operandi of claiming to be police to intimidate the victims. After the victims felt afraid, they were taken to the Mororejo Village Hall yard, where the suspects took the mobile phones and a motorcycle,’ Hendry said at a press conference at Mapolsek Kaliwungu on 21 May. The case drew public attention after five school students claimed to have been stopped by two unknown men while riding their motorcycles in Kaliwungu. In the incident, the victims reported being threatened with a folding knife and ordered to hand over valuables. As a result, one motorcycle and three mobile phones were stolen. In addition to taking their property, the suspects threatened to take the teenagers to the police station if they did not comply. After receiving the report, Kendal’s Criminal Investigation Unit immediately investigated and eventually arrested the two suspects on 20 May 2026 in Semarang. Police also seized the motorcycles and mobile phones as evidence. ‘Based on preliminary questioning, the suspects said they came to Kendal for a holiday. Investigators are still probing whether there was another aim, including the possibility that the suspects intended to commit a crime in Kendal or elsewhere,’ Hendry explained. Police said one of the suspects, with initials SP, is a repeat offender of an assault case in 2019. Investigators are continuing to develop the case to uncover other potential victims or additional locations of the incident in other areas. For their actions, both suspects are charged under Article 49 paragraph 2 with a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison. The evidence will be returned to the victims after the investigation is completed. (JI)