inp.polri.go.id - Makassar. Makassar Police have uncovered the theft of a Bank Sulselbar ATM safe at the Makassar City Council (DPRD) office after it was set on fire by a mob. They have arrested four perpetrators and are still pursuing 16 others.
"We have arrested four people, which left us with 16 more. In total, approximately 20 people have been identified as suspects," said Makassar Sub-regional Police Chief, Senior Superintendent Arya Perdana, as reported by ANTARA, Monday (9/15/2025).
He explained that the ATM contained approximately IDR 320 million. The perpetrators forcibly dismantled and took the machine out of the Makassar DPRD building while the building was being burned, then hijacked a car on Hertasning street to be taken to a certain location.
The machine was then forcibly dismantled with a crowbar and a grinder. All its contents were taken and divided up. After emptying the contents, the perpetrators dumped the remains of the ATM safe into a swamp in the Parangloe District, Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi.
The perpetrators were later discovered not to be part of the demonstration group. From their confession, they had agreed to break into and dismantle the ATM machine and then run away. The money was divided around IDR 18 million per person.
"There was an agreement, they brought a grinder and crowbar used to break into the ATM machine. So, these people came with the intention of committing the crime of looting," he explained.
The perpetrators were charged with multiple articles, namely Article 363 of the Criminal Code concerning Theft and Article 170 of the Criminal Code concerning collective destruction. The confiscated evidence was the remains of the ATM machine.
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