Mall Security Guard in West Jakarta Arrested After Secretly Stealing Groceries for Five Months

A security guard at a mall in the Tambora area of West Jakarta has been arrested by police. The man, identified by the initial I (44), was apprehended after stealing groceries from the supermarket where he worked.

Tambora Police Criminal Investigation Unit Head AKP Sudrajat Djumantara explained that the suspect exploited his position as an employee to carry out the theft without arousing suspicion. It was not a one-off incident; the suspect had repeatedly committed the act.

“The investigation shows that the suspect had been carrying out his actions since February 2026, or for about five months,” said AKP Sudrajat Djumantara to reporters on Friday (18/6/2026).

The thefts committed by I came to light when supermarket management became suspicious of the suspect’s movements, which were deemed unusual. After conducting surveillance and an internal investigation, the suspicion pointed towards the suspect, leading to a report being filed with the police.

“His modus operandi was to collect various grocery items in a basket, then store them in his personal locker before taking them out when his shift ended,” he added.

Following up on the report, the Tambora Police Criminal Investigation Unit immediately launched an inquiry and gathered evidence. During questioning, the suspect admitted to his actions and explained that the thefts were carried out repeatedly by exploiting lapses in workplace oversight.

Sudrajat stated that the suspect resorted to stealing from the supermarket in the mall where he worked because he was addicted to online gambling.

“The stolen goods were then resold, and the money from the sales was used to meet his family’s needs and to play online gambling,” he clarified.

The suspect is currently in custody and undergoing further legal proceedings. For his actions, he has been charged under Article 476 of the Criminal Code concerning the crime of theft.