Hotel footage shows thief grabbing money

Hotel footage shows thief grabbing money

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The police arrested one member of a gang who stole US$300,000
from representatives of the Rabithah Alam Islami (World Islamic
League) during their stay at the Borobudur Hotel, Central
Jakarta, last week.

City police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said on Thursday that
they had detained the person captured on film taking the bag of
money by the hotel's CCTV system.

The suspect, identified as DN, 32, was arrested late on
Wednesday in Bogor with $30,000 and Rp 32 million in his
possession, said the police's chief of general crimes, Sr. Comr.
Moh. Jaelani.

"The suspect confessed that he belonged to a seven-member
Palembang gang specializing in theft at hotels in Jakarta," he
told The Jakarta Post.

The suspect also said the money, which was intended for
tsunami victims in Aceh, had been distributed among the gang
members.

Jaelani expressed optimism that the rest of the gang would be
arrested soon as DN had disclosed several locations where they
stayed.

The Rabithah Alam Islami -- comprising religious leaders from
the Middle East and Africa -- were checking into the hotel last
Thursday when two of them, identified as Abdul Satar and Ali
Sulaeman, went to the hotel's money changer to exchange money.

While exchanging money at the counter, one of them put his bag
down on the floor. The bag was found to be missing soon after.
The representatives reported the incident to the management of
the hotel, who then called the police.

However, none of the representatives, who only speak Arabic,
wanted to talk to the police, not even when officers visited
their rooms on several occasions. They left Indonesia on Tuesday
after only reporting the incident to Saudi Arabian Embassy and
the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

After complaining that they were having difficulties solving
the case, the police proceeded with the investigation, relying
solely on the CCTV recording and witnesses.

The delegation, led by the organization's secretary-general,
Abdullah bin Abdul Muhsin At Turki, was here to give lectures on
what it termed true Islamic teachings. Besides meeting with
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the group also gave a lecture
at the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah in
Jakarta, met with religious leaders and visited Aceh.