Five Arrested in Multi-Province Crackdown on ATM Fraud Syndicate
A joint team from the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) and the East Java Regional Police (Polda Jawa Timur) has arrested a gang specialising in the ‘ATM jamming’ theft method. Five perpetrators were apprehended across the provinces of Banten and West Java.
Kombes Teuku Arsya Khadafi, Head of the National Police Criminal Investigation Unit, stated that the arrests followed reports of distressing ATM tampering incidents in several areas of East Java some time ago. “Bareskrim Polri received a request for analytical and investigative assistance from the East Java Regional Police regarding several cases of theft using the ATM jamming method in Situbondo, Malang, Batu, Probolinggo, and Gresik,” Arsya said in a statement on Wednesday (30/09/2026).
Officers began investigating the gang’s tracks by reviewing CCTV footage from the crime scenes. The investigation led to a residence registered under the name of Megawati, who was identified as the wife of Dedi Darmawan, the alleged ‘captain’ of the gang. “After profiling, it was discovered that Megawati is the wife of Dedi Darmawan, whose physical characteristics matched the individual seen on the CCTV at the crime scenes,” he added.
This finding was further supported by evidence of a silver Avanza car with registration number B-2447-SIF, which matched footage from the Halim Toll Gate, suspected to be the operational vehicle used by Dedi. “The joint team subsequently carried out a forced entry and successfully secured the perpetrator, Dedi, as the leader, along with ATM cards and the operational vehicle,” Arsya continued.
According to Dedi’s confession, the gang operated in separate cells and frequently moved across provinces to carry out their crimes. Based on his testimony, Dedi’s accomplices were subsequently arrested in various regions. “From his confession, it was revealed that they committed thefts using the ATM jamming method in several locations, including Gresik, Probolinggo, Ponorogo, Situbondo, Batu Malang, Magelang, Jogja, Solo, Cirebon, and several other cities in East and Central Java,” Arsya revealed.
Dedi’s subordinates included Yorlis Antoni, also known as Anton Lampung, acting as a driver, who was arrested at a petrol station in Cilegon. This was followed by the arrest of Andi Peti, another driver, at the Karang Tengah rest area heading towards Jakarta, Tangerately.
The pursuit continued into West Java, where the fourth suspect, Agus Setiawan (alias Agus Bandung), was apprehended on the Nagreg highway towards Tasikmalaya. He served as one of the gang’s executors. Finally, officers tracked down the fifth suspect, M. Nirwansyah, an executor. The arrest of Nirwansyah was difficult as he fled from Tasikmalaya, but he was eventually caught in Ciamis after police tracked the GPS of the vehicle he was using.
“Nirwa was successfully secured at the Griya Sindang Sejahtera housing complex in Ciamis, along with a black Avanza unit used to commit the crimes,” Arsya added.
From the suspects, police seized several pieces of evidence, including a thin ATM card modified to jam ATM machines, 13 ATM cards used to collect the proceeds of the crimes, two Avanza cars, 10 sets of clothing matching the CCTV footage, several modems and mobile phones, and Rp 5.4 million in cash. “All suspects and evidence will be handed over to the East Java Regional Police investigators for legal proceedings and further development,” Arsya concluded.