Police arrest Indian national's phone snatcher in Central Jakarta

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Central Jakarta Metro Police, together with Menteng Police Subprecinct, arrested the perpetrator of a phone-snatching robbery against an Indian foreign national on Jalan Gondangdia, Menteng, Central Jakarta, less than 24 hours after the incident occurred on 4 September 2026.

Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit at Central Jakarta Metro Police, AKBP Sang Ngurah Wiratama, said the case was solved after police examined the crime scene and analysed CCTV footage, which was then matched against police facial recognition data.

“After we analysed it and matched it with the face recognition data held by the police identification unit, it pointed to one repeat offender with the initials NJ,” Wiratama said in Jakarta on Monday.

Police then tracked NJ’s whereabouts and apprehended him at his residence along with several pieces of evidence, namely a motorcycle, clothing and a helmet allegedly used during the crime.

According to Wiratama, the victim’s mobile phone seized during the incident was also successfully recovered. The evidence had previously been kept by NJ and was then handed over to the police through the perpetrator’s wife.

“Menteng Police moved very quickly to close off the perpetrator’s room for manoeuvre, so that the individual in question did not have time to dispose of the evidence,” he said.

Regarding the chronology of events, on Friday (4/9) at around 09:00 Western Indonesia Time, the victim, named Gupta Rishika, was walking towards the Mangala Vinayaka Ganesha place of worship while using her mobile phone.

“While she was on her phone, two people appeared on a single motorcycle and suddenly snatched or took her phone on the street,” he said.

The victim reported the incident to Menteng Police Subprecinct. Police then conducted an investigation until they successfully solved the case on 6 September 2026.

Wiratama said investigators were still looking into the ownership of the motorcycle used by the perpetrator, including the possibility that the vehicle was the proceeds of another crime.

Police charged the perpetrator under Article 477 of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code concerning theft with aggravating circumstances, which carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years.

“As for the use of a sharp weapon, the perpetrator did not use one when carrying out the act,” he said.