Hacking Syndicate Targeting School Funds Dismantled! Nearly Rp1 Billion in School Money Stolen, Used for Drugs
Palembang, VIVA – South Sumatra Regional Police have dismantled a cybercrime operation targeting the education sector. A syndicate hacking into BOS (School Operational Assistance) funds belonging to SMA Negeri 2 Prabumulih has been exposed, with total state losses nearly reaching Rp1 billion.
The case was uncovered by the Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimsus) of South Sumatra Police through its Cyber Subdirectorate. The perpetrators’ actions involved breaching the school’s SIBOS website system and draining educational funds in two stages.
The case originated from a report by the school in December 2025. Investigators quickly moved to probe the matter and ultimately apprehended the criminal network operating in Palembang and Ogan Komering Ilir Regency (OKI).
From the investigation, the perpetrators first struck on 17 December 2025, stealing BOS funds amounting to Rp344,802,770. The second attack occurred on 20 January 2026, with a value of Rp598,000,000 out of total incoming funds of Rp637,500,000.
In total, the embezzled educational funds reached Rp942,802,770, or nearly Rp1 billion.
Director of Special Criminal Investigation at South Sumatra Police, Commissioner of Police Doni Satrya Sembiring, revealed that the suspects used brute force methods to breach the security system.
“The suspects conducted repeated and massive attempts to guess usernames and passwords until they successfully breached the SIBOS system. Once they gained access, the perpetrators immediately transferred the educational funds to several prepared holding accounts,” he said on Thursday, 2 April 2026.
He emphasised that they are still hunting for other individuals involved in the network.
“We are still pursuing two other perpetrators in this network who are now listed as Wanted Persons (DPO). This case is a top priority because they are robbing funds that should be used for the future education of our children,” he added.
In the operation, police secured four suspects with varying roles, from the hacking executors to providers of holding accounts.
A shocking fact emerged during the arrests: three of the four suspects had just consumed crystal methamphetamine (sabu) narcotics. This indicates that the proceeds from the crime were also used to fund drug abuse.
Additionally, police seized several pieces of evidence, including one Toyota Innova vehicle, one iPhone 17 Pro Max mobile phone, passbooks for holding accounts, and crystal methamphetamine narcotics along with its smoking apparatus.