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Police officer’s mysterious death in North Kalimantan raises alarm over broader trend in Indonesian Police Force

On September 22nd, a harrowing event unfolded as a police officer, serving as an aide to the North Kalimantan Regional Police Chief, was found lifeless in a residence at 13:10 local time, surrounded by a pool of blood. A HS-9 handgun lay nearby.

Investigations are underway, raising concerns about a pattern of such incidents within the Indonesian police force.

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12 months ago

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INDONESIA: In a tragic incident, Brigadier Setyo Herlambang, a police officer and aide to the North Kalimantan Regional Police Chief (Kapolda Kaltara), was discovered dead in a pool of blood inside a residence on Friday (22 Sep), at approximately 13:10 local time.

According to the Chief of Public Relations of the North Kalimantan Police (Polda Kaltara), Police Commissioner Budi Rachmat, a handgun of the HS-9 type was found beside the deceased officer.

“He was found covered in blood, and next to him was an office inventory firearm of type HS-9 with serial number HS178837,” Budi stated, as reported by Kompas.com on Saturday (23 Sep).

Brigadier Setyo Herlambang, originally from Semarang, Central Java, served as a Non-Commissioned Officer (Bintara) in Unit 3 Sub-Detachment 1 of the Gegana Detachment of the Mobile Brigade Police Unit of North Kalimantan.

In addition to his regular duties, he also served as an aide for the security and protection of the North Kalimantan Regional Police Chief, Inspector General of Police Daniel Adityajaya. “Yes, he was assigned as an aide in Polda Kaltara,” Budi confirmed.

To clarify the cause of death, Brigadier Setyo Herlambang’s body was transported to Tarakan City Hospital for an autopsy.

Meanwhile, teams from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimum) and the Professional and Security Affairs Division (Bidpropam) of North Kalimantan Police have completed the crime scene investigation.

“The initial examination by the Police Health and Medical Team (Dokkes) of North Kalimantan revealed that the victim had no pulse,” Budi explained.

The preliminary suspicion is that the officer’s death was the result of negligence while cleaning the HS-9 firearm. “The preliminary assumption is that the victim was cleaning the firearm, which resulted in an accident,” he stated.

Budi added that the family of the victim requested that the autopsy be conducted in Semarang. Therefore, only an external examination and post-mortem examination were performed on Brigadier Setyo at Tarakan Hospital.

“The plan is to bury the body in his hometown of Semarang,” he continued.

The body was transported from Tarakan, North Kalimantan, to Surabaya, East Java, and then continued its journey by land to Semarang, arriving on Saturday (23 Sep) around 12:30 local time.

The autopsy took place at the Forensic Medical Installation (Dokpol) of the Semarang Bhayangkara Hospital.

According to Kompas.com on Saturday (23 Sep), Stefanus Satake Bayu Setianto, Chief of Public Relations for the Central Java Police, stated that the autopsy results revealed that the victim had suffered severe bleeding.

The North Kalimantan Regional Police Chief visited his aide’s autopsy at Bhayangkara Hospital in Semarang on Saturday (23 Sep). (Photo: KOMPAS.com)

“The autopsy results showed that he died from a gunshot wound to the left side of the chest that penetrated the heart and lungs, causing severe bleeding,” Stefanus said.

The autopsy was conducted from 13:00 to 15:00 local time and was attended by family members and the North Kalimantan Regional Police Chief.

Police Chief orders thorough investigation

The incident of the aide’s death has also brought deep sorrow to North Kalimantan Regional Police Chief Inspector General Pol Daniel Adityajaya.

He confirmed that the victim had been a member of the North Kalimantan Regional Police for approximately four months and had served as his aide.

Currently, the police are conducting a thorough investigation to uncover the cause of his death.

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo has instructed Inspector General Daniel Aditya Jaya, the North Kalimantan Regional Police Chief, to conduct a careful and thorough investigation.

General Listyo also emphasized the use of Scientific Crime Investigation (CSI) in the investigation process.

“I have instructed the North Kalimantan Regional Police Chief to investigate this incident thoroughly and utilize our CSI capabilities so that the final results can be scientifically justified,” said General Listyo on Sunday (24 Sep), at Monas, Central Jakarta.

General Listyo has further directed the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Puslabfor) to deploy forensic doctors to ensure that the investigation results can be transparently communicated to the victim’s family.

“I believe the National Police is always transparent,” General Listyo emphasized. He also expressed the need for patience in revealing the circumstances of Brigadier Setyo’s death, stating that the investigation was still ongoing and that conclusions would be drawn after all aspects were considered.

Multiple mysterious officer deaths under scrutiny

In response to the incident, the Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) has called for the establishment of a special team to investigate the case.

Sugeng Teguh Santoso, Chairman of IPW, said, “The National Police Chief must form a Special Team to investigate this. The aide died at the Regional Police Chief’s official residence. We don’t want a situation like the shooting of Brigadier Yosua to happen again, which tarnished the image of the National Police.”

Sugeng urged an immediate examination to clarify the background of Briptu Herlambang’s death, who was a member of the Brimob unit.

“The disclosure of the death of the Regional Police Chief’s aide is crucial to be transparent and prevent public speculation,” Teguh stated.

IPW also urged the National Police to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of several cases involving the mysterious deaths of their officers since the beginning of 2023.

IPW has recorded at least four such cases.

According to Sugeng, after the case of Brigadier Yosua, who was proven to have been shot by his superior, Ferdy Sambo, the public was also shocked by the death of Chief Police Brigadier (Bripka) AS, a member of the Samosir Resort Police, on 23 January 2023, allegedly due to cyanide poisoning.

Three months later, on 25 March 2023, there was the case of Brigadier Polisi Satu (Briptu) RF, Personal Staff of the Gorontalo Regional Police Chief, who was found dead with a gunshot wound inside a parked official vehicle on Gorontalo Ring Road. RF was suspected to have committed suicide as gunpowder residue was found on his right hand.

Six days later, on 31 March 2023, Brigadier Polisi Kepala (Bripka) DK, a member of the Directorate of Samapta (Ditsamapta) of the Banten Regional Police, was found dead with gunshot wounds in his home in Griya Baladika Asri, Serang City, Banten.

On 23 July 2023, Brigadier Polisi Dua (Bripda) Ignatius Dwi Frisco Sirage, a member of Detachment 88 Anti-Terrorism Special Unit (Densus 88), died at the Polri Cikeas Police Complex in Gunung Putri, Bogor Regency, allegedly killed by his colleagues, Brigadier Polisi Dua (Bripda) IMS and Brigadier Polisi Kepala (Bripka) IG.

From this series of cases, IPW called upon the National Police to investigate and research the psychological issues affecting their personnel. IPW also urged the National Police Chief to examine the leadership practices aimed at guiding subordinates.

“The disclosure of the Regional Police Chief’s aide’s death is crucial to be transparent and prevent public speculation,” Sugeng emphasized.

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Crime

S$3b money laundering convicts and Alice Guo charged with human trafficking in Philippines

Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying, convicted in Singapore’s S$3 billion money laundering case, have been charged in the Philippines for human trafficking, along with former mayor Alice Guo. The group is accused of operating a scam centre involving hundreds of workers in Tarlac province.

Published

2 hours ago

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20 September 2024

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MANILA, PHILIPPINES: Two Fujian-born individuals previously convicted in Singapore’s S$3 billion money laundering case, Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying, have been named among 14 people charged with human trafficking in the Philippines.

The charges were filed by the Department of Justice on 17 September, involving a major scam operation in Tarlac province.

Zhang and Lin, along with former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, are accused of forcing hundreds of people from various nationalities into working for a scam centre located in Bamban, Tarlac.

The site was raided in March 2024, leading to the discovery of 432 Chinese nationals, 371 Filipinos, and other individuals from Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Rwanda.

Guo, who was stripped of her mayorship in August, was arrested in Indonesia in September following her escape from the Philippines in July during an investigation into her alleged involvement in Chinese criminal syndicates.

The scam operation was run on land owned by Baofu Land Development, a company founded in 2019 by Guo, Zhang, Lin, Cypriot national Huang Zhiyang, and Philippine national Rachel Joan Malonzo Carreon.

All five individuals are among those facing charges of “qualified human trafficking,” a non-bailable offence which typically carries a penalty of life imprisonment.

Qualified trafficking, as defined under Philippine law, involves cases where syndicates, slavery, or forced labour are present.

Zhang and Lin were sentenced to 15 months in prison in Singapore after pleading guilty to money laundering and forgery charges.

They were deported to Cambodia in June after completing their sentences.

Guo, who had evaded Philippine authorities by hiding in Singapore for a month, was extradited back to the Philippines on 9 September and is now facing additional charges, including graft-related offences, tax fraud, and laundering criminal proceeds amounting to 100 million pesos (S$2.3 million).

Guo, whose birth name is allegedly Guo Hua Ping, is also under investigation for fabricating her nationality to qualify for public office, a role restricted to Philippine citizens.

She is accused of falsifying her birth records to conceal her Chinese nationality.

The case has drawn further attention due to the involvement of Huang Zhiyang, reported to be the head of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos), which have been linked to human trafficking and scam operations.

Pogos, while licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), have been criticized for exploiting workers and being a front for criminal activities.

In 2022, Pogos contributed 53.1 billion pesos (S$1.3 billion) to the Philippine economy, but lawmakers continue to express concerns about their operations.

Zhang and Lin’s current whereabouts remain unclear following their deportation.

Cambodian authorities reported Zhang was deported again on 16 July, but the destination country was not disclosed.

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Crime

Two arrested in US$230 million cryptocurrency theft and laundering scheme

Two men, including a Singaporean citizen, were arrested Wednesday night and charged in U.S. District Courts in Florida and California with stealing and laundering over US$230 million in cryptocurrency. The FBI raided a luxury Miami home linked to one suspect, who allegedly defrauded a Washington, D.C. victim.

Published

3 hours ago

on

20 September 2024

By

Malone Lam (Broward Sheriff’s Office), Luxury home at 1201 NE 83rd St (Miami Herald)

UNITED STATES: On Thursday (19 Sept), Malone Lam, 20, of Miami, FL, and Jeandiel Serrano, 21, of Los Angeles, CA, were charged with conspiracy to steal and launder over US$230 million in cryptocurrency from a Washington, D.C. victim.

Both suspects were arrested on Wednesday night and charged in U.S. District Courts in Florida and California on Thursday.

Lam, a Singaporean citizen known online as “Anne Hathaway” and “$$$,” and Serrano, who uses the aliases “VersaceGod” and “@SkidStar,” were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

They are accused of using their online identities to fraudulently obtain over 4,100 Bitcoin, valued at more than US$230 million, from a Washington, D.C. victim, according to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to the Miami Herald, the FBI raided a luxury waterfront home in Miami, FL, linked to Lam as part of the investigation.

The 10-bedroom, 10-bath home, listed on Zillow for US$11.5 million, was reportedly rented out to celebrities and musicians. Agents arrested Lam in Miami, while Serrano was simultaneously apprehended in Los Angeles. Neighbours described seeing Maseratis and Lamborghinis frequently parked at the Miami residence.

The indictment alleges that since at least August 2024, Lam and Serrano, along with unnamed accomplices, used sophisticated methods to gain access to victims’ cryptocurrency accounts.

The stolen funds were laundered through cryptocurrency exchanges, “peel chains,” pass-through wallets, and virtual private networks (VPNs) to obscure their origins.

The suspects allegedly spent the proceeds on luxury goods, including cars, jewellery, and rental properties in both Miami and Los Angeles.

The raid, which took place on Wednesday, was part of a grand jury indictment unsealed the next day. Agents were seen removing high-end vehicles from the property, and damage to the front gate was visible following the operation.

Local police provided support to the FBI during the raid.

The arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.

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