Man in Pacitan steals IDR 350 million in gold, spends proceeds on online gambling
Pacitan Police in East Java have uncovered a case involving the theft of gold jewellery and cash worth approximately Rp350 million belonging to an elderly resident of Kalikuning Village, Tulakan District, with the arrest of a suspect identified as S.
Pacitan Police Chief AKBP Ayub Diponegoro Azhar said on Monday that based on examination results, the suspect admitted to using the proceeds of his crime to play online gambling.
“For slot gambling or online gambling, that is what the perpetrator told us,” Ayub said during a case release at Pacitan Police Headquarters.
The case came to light following a theft report at the home of Mesirah (64), a resident of Mloko Hamlet, Kalikuning Village, Tulakan District, in late July 2026.
At the time of the incident, the victim had left her home to attend a wedding reception.
Police then conducted an investigation and traced transactions involving the sale of gold jewellery believed to have come from the theft until they located the suspect.
“From there we swept the area, including identifying the perpetrator’s location. Our members arrested the perpetrator in Pacitan Regency,” Ayub said.
Based on police examination results, the suspect had returned to Kalikuning Village to visit his parents.
While in his hometown, the suspect learned that the victim was attending a celebration, leaving the house empty.
“The suspect’s initial target in entering the victim’s house was to take money, but he found gold jewellery and took it as well,” Ayub said.
Police said the suspect entered the victim’s house through a bathroom window, then pried open a door and a cupboard using a crowbar found at the property.
From inside the cupboard, the suspect took cash and a quantity of gold jewellery before leaving the victim’s house.
The victim subsequently reported the loss of gold jewellery and cash, with total losses estimated at Rp350 million.
For his actions, the suspect has been charged under Article 477 paragraph (1) letter f of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years.