Snatch Thief Targeting Elderly Women in Bekasi Arrested, Modus Operandi Revealed
Bekasi — A spate of snatch thefts targeting an elderly nasi uduk vendor in the Pondok Gede area of Bekasi, which had gone viral on social media, has finally been solved.
The Mobile Criminal Investigation Sub-directorate (Subdit Resmob) of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police (Polda Metro Jaya) has arrested the perpetrator, who had been specifically targeting elderly female traders as his victims. The breakthrough followed two police reports — LP/B/10/I/2026 dated 5 January 2026 and LP/B/30/II/2026 dated 20 February 2026 — filed within the jurisdiction of Pondok Gede Sector Police, Bekasi City Metropolitan Police.
“This case falls under the criminal offence of Theft with Violence as stipulated in Article 479 of the Criminal Code, with the modus operandi of snatching bags belonging to female nasi uduk vendors,” said Head of Unit V Resmob at Polda Metro Jaya, Adjunct Commissioner Arief Ryzki Wicaksana, on Tuesday, 23 February 2026.
The first incident occurred on Friday, 2 January 2026 at approximately 08:00 Western Indonesian Time on Jalan Sosial No. 18 RT 002/006, Jatiwaringin Sub-district, Pondok Gede District, Bekasi City. The victim had hung a tote bag containing her purse and sales earnings of Rp7.5 million on the fence near her stall. The perpetrator, pretending to order nasi uduk, exploited the victim’s momentary lapse in attention.
“While the victim was serving a customer, the perpetrator took the bag and concealed it inside his clothing. The victim, upon noticing his actions, attempted to block him and grabbed his hand,” said the officer.
However, the perpetrator sped away on a motorcycle. The victim fell to the ground whilst the suspect made his escape. A similar incident occurred again on Tuesday, 17 February 2026 at approximately 07:30 Western Indonesian Time on Jalan Bulak Tinggi, Pondok Melati, Bekasi City. The footage of this incident went viral and sparked outrage among internet users.
Investigations revealed that the perpetrator employed the same modus operandi — pretending to purchase nasi uduk whilst targeting vulnerable victims such as middle-aged and elderly women.
Special Team I of Subdit Resmob subsequently launched a series of investigative operations. Police conducted crime scene examinations, reviewed CCTV footage from multiple locations, and carried out analytical assessments. The efforts yielded matching evidence from several CCTV recordings, enabling officers to identify the suspect.
“The perpetrator was ultimately arrested on Friday, 20 February 2026 at 05:40 Western Indonesian Time on Jalan Kramat Utara, RT 01/RW 04, Kampung Tengah Sub-district, Kramat Jati District, East Jakarta,” he said.