Police Hunt for Foreign National Phone Snatcher Near HI Roundabout: We Will Arrest Him Quickly
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Director of General Criminal Investigation (Dirreskrimum) of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Commissioner Pol Iman Imanuddin, stated that they are currently pursuing the perpetrator who snatched the phone of a foreign national (WNA) from Italy, CL, around the Hotel Indonesia (HI) roundabout, Menteng, Central Jakarta.
“Currently, we are pursuing the suspected perpetrator of the phone snatching incident involving the foreign national. God willing, we will arrest him quickly,” Iman said in a press conference at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters, Friday (15/5/2026).
Regarding the location of the snatching incident at the HI roundabout, the Head of Public Relations of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Commissioner Pol Budi Hermanto, stated that such incidents are unavoidable.
According to Budi, perpetrators usually take advantage of the victim’s carelessness, especially when using mobile phones on the street.
“He (the perpetrator) takes the phone when people are distracted, usually when they are using their phones on the street without paying attention. They don’t think that this situation could make them a victim. So, crime, in its concept, does not consider time and place, and neither does this type of crime,” he added.
Previously, it was reported that a foreign national (WNA) was snatched near the Hotel Indonesia (HI) roundabout, Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (14/5/2026), while waiting for an online ride.
When the Motorola Neo 60 phone was taken by the perpetrator, the Italian citizen with the initials CL fell to the ground.
The Head of Public Relations of the Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Inspector Iptu Erlyn Sumantri, said that the incident occurred at 16:10 WIB.
“The perpetrator snatched the phone from the foreign national. After that, the foreign national chased after him,” she said.
CL then reported the incident to the Menteng Police Station around 20:00 WIB.
Currently, the perpetrator is still being pursued by the police. The victim has also been questioned.
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