Former Student Who Stole Chromebooks from Denpasar Elementary Schools Faces 2.5-Year Prison Sentence
A former elementary school student in Denpasar, Ahmad Dhani Pratama (19), faces a prison sentence of two years and six months after being found guilty of burglarising two schools he once attended. Together with a minor accomplice, Ahmad Dhani stole Chromebooks, laptops, mobile phones, and cash, resulting in total losses of approximately Rp 99 million.
"We demand that the panel of judges examining and adjudicating this case declare the defendant Ahmad Dhani Pratama legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing the criminal act of aggravated theft jointly, as charged by the public prosecutor," said Public Prosecutor Putu Oka Bhismaning during a hearing at the Denpasar District Court on Thursday, 16 July 2026.
The case originated from two burglaries at SDN 5 Kesiman and SDN 12 Kesiman in East Denpasar. Police uncovered the case after receiving reports from both schools and arrested Ahmad Dhani along with his underage accomplice, identified by the initials HA, in a boarding room on Jalan Bypass IB Mantra on 23 February 2026.
During the trial, it was revealed that the first act took place on Saturday, 14 February 2026, at around 1:00 a.m. local time. Ahmad Dhani and HA climbed the fence of SDN 5 Kesiman, damaged the CCTV, and then pried open the doors of the teachers’ room and the headmaster’s office using a screwdriver. From the school, they made off with nine Axio-brand Chromebooks, one DAC laptop, and a 3 kg LPG gas cylinder. The stolen goods were initially hidden in bushes in the Batubulan area. However, when they returned to retrieve them, some of the items had already gone missing. The two remaining Chromebooks were sold to an electronics shop for Rp 50,000, while the gas cylinder was sold for Rp 80,000.
Two days later, in the early hours of Monday, 16 February 2026, they struck again, this time targeting SDN 12 Kesiman. Using the same method, they broke into the headmaster’s office and the teachers’ room, stealing an Oppo mobile phone, three laptops, and Rp 285,000 in cash. The three laptops were later sold for Rp 500,000, while the mobile phone was kept by the defendant for personal use.
As a result of the thefts, SDN 5 Kesiman suffered losses of around Rp 60 million, while SDN 12 Kesiman lost approximately Rp 39 million, bringing the total losses to nearly Rp 99 million. Court documents also revealed that Ahmad Dhani had escaped from the East Denpasar Police Sector holding cell on 15 April 2026. He was only recaptured on 24 May 2026, before the case was transferred to the public prosecutor.