Banda Aceh News | In a bizarre criminal scheme, a 34-year-old man was arrested by police after disguising himself in a woman’s Islamic veil (niqab) to infiltrate a local hospital and rob unsuspecting visitors in West Aceh Regency.
The suspect, identified by his initials S, was apprehended by the Mobile Research Unit (Resmob) of the West Aceh Police Criminal Investigation Unit along Jalan Generasi in Gampong Gampa on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Authorities seized multiple stolen smartphones, a wallet, identity cards, and bank cards from his possession during the arrest.
West Aceh Police Crime Unit Head AKP Deno Wahyudi disclosed that the suspect intentionally donned full female attire and a face veil to conceal his identity while roaming the wards of Harapan Sehat Hospital.
“Based on preliminary interrogation, the disguise was calculated to mask his identity so he could move undetected through the crowd at the crime scene,” Deno revealed during an official briefing on Friday, November 6, 2026.
A Bizarre Covert Operation
The theft took place on Sunday evening, November 1, 2026, at around 7:15 PM WIB. A hospital visitor suddenly realized that two of her mobile phones and a wallet containing vital personal documents were missing. Simultaneously, a healthcare colleague reported the theft of another smartphone from the same area.
Eye-witness testimonies quickly pointed toward a suspicious figure wearing a full-length abaya and a face-covering niqab who had been lingering around the patient rooms prior to the disappearance of the valuables. The unusual behavior of the veiled figure served as a primary lead for investigators tracking the culprit.
The victim suffered estimated financial losses of IDR 5 million ($320 USD). Following his arrest, the cross-dressing thief was transported to the West Aceh Police Headquarters alongside the recovered evidence for formal legal proceedings.
Facing Severe Legal Penalties
Investigators are currently processing witness statements, interrogating the suspect, and assembling the case dossier before transferring the file to the Public Prosecutor’s Office (JPU).
Under Indonesian law, the suspect faces severe charges under Article 477 paragraph (1) letter e in conjunction with Article 476 of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code (KUHP), carrying a potential multi-year prison sentence for aggravated theft.
