Police apprehend syndicate using toothpicks to obstruct ATM machines in West Jakarta

The police have apprehended four members of a syndicate specialising in stealing money by obstructing ATM machines with toothpicks, a method frequently used in the West Jakarta area.

The suspects, identified by the initials FR, AP, AF, and TH, operated in a structured manner, with roles ranging from card swappers and PIN observers to lookouts and getaway drivers.

West Jakarta Metro Police Chief, Kombes Pol. Nasri_adi, explained during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday that the syndicate’s modus operandi was highly organised, targeting victims who encountered difficulties inserting their cards into the machines.

“This is not a manual or conventional theft, but rather theft using the ATM obstruction method. The perpetrators obstruct the ATM card slot using a toothpick and then wait for the victim to arrive,” said Nasriadi.

He added that when victims struggled to insert their cards, one of the perpetrators would pretend to offer assistance. During this moment, the perpetrator would swiftly swap the victim’s original ATM card with a specially prepared counterfeit card.

“Once the victim asks for help, they hand their original ATM card to the perpetrator. The perpetrator then quickly replaces the original card with a prepared fake,” Nasriadi stated.

Other members of the group were tasked with spying and memorising PIN numbers as victims pressed buttons on the ATM. Once they had secured the original card and the PIN, the perpetrators would flee to other ATMs to drain the victim’s account.

During the arrest, police seized evidence including 53 counterfeit ATM cards from various banks, two toothpicks, sandpaper, mobile phones, and the suspects’ identity cards.