Mother and daughter in Pamekasan named as masterminds behind cross-provincial gold theft

Mother and daughter in Pamekasan, East Java, are suspected to be the masterminds behind a cross-provincial gold theft. The head of the General Crimin al Investigation Unit at Pamekasan Police Resort, Inspector Reza, said in Pamekasan on Thursday that the two suspects were captured in Dompu Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), after fleeing following the theft. ‘This arrest was made thanks to CCTV footage at the scene. We immediately conducted investigations and pursued the suspects,’ he said.

The gold theft occurred on May 2, 2026, at around 3:00 pm Western Indonesian Time at a gold shop in Pamekasan. The case was reported to the police by the victim on May 9, 2026 after the gold jewellery was found missing.

The case attracted public attention after CCTV footage from the scene circulated widely and went viral on social media. From the footage, the police identified two women who were strongly suspected of being the perpetrators.

According to the head of the General Crimin al Investigation Unit, after receiving the report, they immediately conducted a crime scene examination and collected statements from witnesses on the ground.

‘After receiving the report, we immediately conducted a scene analysis and collected statements from witnesses on the scene,’ he said.

The breakthrough came after investigators received the original CCTV footage from the complainant on May 11, 2026.

From the analysis, police identified the suspects’ characteristics and traced their movements.

‘From CCTV analysis, we were able to identify the suspects’ characteristics and track their flight direction,’ he said.

Their cross-regional movement prolonged the chase, until police obtained information on the suspects’ location outside Java, precisely in West Nusa Tenggara.

The arrest was conducted on Tuesday (May 12) in Dompu, NTB. The operation was the result of coordination between the Pamekasan Police’s Mobile Detective Team and the NTB police.

‘After the suspects were confirmed to be in NTB, we coordinated with Dompu Police Resort to carry out the arrest,’ said Inspector Reza.

Origin: Kalimantan

He explained that the two suspects, initials UN (51) and AL (24), are mother and daughter, originally from Kalimantan. They are suspected not only of operating at a single location, but also as part of a cross-regional theft network.

After arrest, the suspects were taken back to Pamekasan for further legal processing. Transport was carried out with tight security by land and sea.

‘After arrest, both suspects and the evidence were taken to Pamekasan Police Resort for further investigation. The provisional evidence is a 10-gram gold bracelet,’ he said.

Police are still deepening possible other crime locations and the broader network, including tracing the stolen goods.

‘We are still developing to confirm whether there are other crime scenes and to trace the whereabouts of the evidence,’ he said.

‘The initial motive, as stated, is economic factors, but we are still looking into it further,’ Reza said.

Pamekasan Police appreciate the public’s role in quickly providing CCTV footage, which accelerated the case’s resolution.

To account for their actions, police charged the suspects under Article 362 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) with a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.