Retired Police Officer in Lampung Involved in Debt Collector Syndicate, Car Seized

A retired police officer with the rank of AKBP, identified by the initials OSG (63) and a resident of Bandar Lampung, has been arrested by the General Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Lampung Regional Police for his involvement in a ‘mata elang’ (debt collector) syndicate that forcibly seized a car under threat. OSG has been named a suspect alongside five others in the case of seizure accompanied by threats against the vehicle owner.

Director of General Criminal Investigation at Lampung Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Indra Hermawan, stated that following an investigation, six out of eight people initially detained were named as suspects. One of the suspects is indeed a retired police officer who left the force approximately three years ago. ‘Six people have been named as suspects after investigators examined the eight detained individuals and gathered sufficient evidence,’ Indra said on Tuesday. The six syndicate suspects have the initials YF, HS, HF (45), KA (29), YS (53) and OSG (63). They are currently being held at the Lampung Regional Police detention centre for further legal proceedings. Indra stressed that OSG’s background as a former police officer would not influence the legal process. ‘We are handling this professionally. Whoever is suspected of involvement will be processed according to the law, regardless of their background or profession,’ he said.

During the investigation, officers found indications that the debt collector group had repeatedly carried out similar actions against other victims in various locations. ‘This is not the first time this group has committed such acts; we have found several other potential victims or crime scenes,’ Indra revealed. Investigators are still probing the specific roles of each suspect and compiling a list of victims and other related crime scenes. ‘We are currently taking stock of how many victims and crime scenes involve the suspects from this debt collector group,’ he added.

The six suspects each had specific roles during their operations. They used a mobile phone application to check vehicle registration plates, ensuring the vehicles were not using fake plates, while matching them with target data from finance companies. ‘The suspects’ modus operandi was to use a phone app to determine whether a vehicle’s number plate was fake or not. They then matched it to see if the vehicle was a target of a particular finance company,’ he explained. According to statements from five witnesses, the debt collector group always operated in an organised manner. One perpetrator was tasked with operating the application, approaching and entering the victim’s vehicle, while another followed from behind and blocked the victim’s car. ‘They worked together according to their respective roles,’ he said.

The case originated from a report filed by a victim with the initials CRJ (47) on Friday, 26 June 2026. At the time, the victim had parked a black Mitsubishi Pajero Sport with registration number D 1209 UBJ in the yard of Klamby Boutique on Jalan Kartini, Durian Payung, Tanjungkarang Pusat, Bandar Lampung City. At around 5:45 PM local time, the victim was approached by a group of people suspected of being a debt collector syndicate, who forced the victim to hand over the vehicle. When the victim refused, the syndicate members intimidated and threatened the victim, forcing them to drive the car to the office of finance company CIMB Niaga Auto Finance to surrender it to the leasing firm. Following up on the report, a team from Unit 4 of the Mobile Investigation Sub-Directorate III of the Lampung Regional Police moved to the location at around 9:30 PM local time, arresting and detaining eight suspected syndicate members along with evidence. The seized evidence included the victim’s Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, a Toyota Innova and a Nissan X-Trail allegedly used by the perpetrators, 6 identity cards, and 3 vehicle registration documents. Six perpetrators were named as suspects, and investigators are continuing to develop the case to uncover the possibility of additional perpetrators or victims.