Woman Arrested for Stealing Rp2.6 Million from Minimarket Till in Tambora Using Bulk Purchase Distraction Tactic
Jakarta — A woman with the initials IPS (22) was arrested for stealing cash from the till of a minimarket in Gang Songsi, Tanah Sereal, Tambora, West Jakarta.
The theft was committed using a distraction method, whereby the suspect requested numerous items simultaneously to divert the cashier’s attention.
The minimarket cashier, Desti, recounted that the incident began when the suspect arrived and asked for one carton of instant noodles. “After that was obtained, she asked for ten packs of Kiranti drinks. Then she used another tactic, asking questions about TapCash card details,” said Desti during an interview on Wednesday (11 March 2026).
The suspect then requested an additional four cartons of beverages. This request forced Desti to go upstairs to the minimarket to retrieve stock. “The tactic was to keep me busy going upstairs. She then went straight to the till. The total amount taken was Rp2,650,000,” Desti explained.
Upon realising the theft, Desti immediately called a colleague and chased the suspect who attempted to flee the shop. “Fortunately, a colleague managed to catch her; she tried to run outside,” said Desti.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Criminal Investigation at Tambora Police Precinct, Senior Police Captain Sudrajat Djumantara, confirmed the theft incident. He stated that the incident occurred on Tuesday (10 March 2026) at approximately 8:00 p.m.
“There was indeed a theft of cash from the till at a minimarket in the Gang Songsi area, Tanah Sereal, Tambora, committed by a woman and detected by shop staff,” said Sudrajat to journalists at Tambora Police Precinct on Wednesday evening.
Shortly after the report was received, the Criminal Investigation Unit of Tambora Police Precinct moved quickly to apprehend the suspect in the Gang Songsi area. “The team immediately acted and apprehended the suspect with initials IPS in the Gang Songsi area, Tanah Sereal, without any resistance immediately after the act,” said Sudrajat.
From preliminary questioning, the suspect admitted to carrying out similar thefts at least five times at various locations in West Jakarta and North Jakarta. However, those previous cases were resolved through restorative justice after the suspect returned the stolen money.
“The suspect has repeatedly committed such thefts; the motive is purely economic — the proceeds were used for needs ahead of Lebaran,” said Sudrajat.