Family Suspects Bangkalan Official Found Dead in Juanda Was Victim of Love Scam

The family of the Secretary of the Public Housing and Settlement Areas Agency (PRKP) of Bangkalan Regency, identified by the initials RYS (51), suspects he was a victim of a love scam. RYS was found dead inside his official car in the parking area of Terminal 1 at Juanda International Airport. Risang Bima Wijaya, the family’s legal counsel, stated that the suspicion is based on communication patterns and the background of the case currently being investigated by police. “The victim may have been a victim of a love scam,” Risang said on Monday (6/7). Regarding the investigation, Risang mentioned that the family is awaiting updates from the police, who are currently pursuing the suspect. He revealed that the suspect, identified as ‘E’, was traced to the Central Java region but is known to move frequently between East Java and Central Java. “He moves around, East Java, Central Java, jumping between locations,” he said. Risang disclosed that the family and legal team identified the suspect through the victim’s last social media posts. The two were known to have travelled together to Malang and Batu several days before RYS’s body was discovered on Wednesday (24/6). E is allegedly a man from South Sulawesi who once worked for the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (BPPN), an institution dissolved in 2004. He also has a suspected track record of various fraud schemes, including property, project, and sales scams. Risang suspects the initial acquaintance between the victim and the suspect may have been under the guise of seeking projects, but stressed that the suspect’s arrest is key to uncovering the full chronology. The East Java Regional Police confirmed they are assisting the Sidoarjo Police in pursuing the suspect, who is indicated to have fled to several cities. AKBP Arbaridi Jumhur, Head of Sub-Directorate III for Violent Crimes, stated that officers have been divided into multiple teams, with one team moving westward, though specific locations cannot be disclosed for investigative reasons.