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Jakarta Post

Hypnotic crimes haunt Jakarta

A new wave of criminals in the capital are taking a soft approach, not only using threats of violence, but also playing mind games

Ika Krismantari (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, September 4, 2010

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Hypnotic crimes haunt Jakarta

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new wave of criminals in the capital are taking a soft approach, not only using threats of violence, but also playing mind games.

They smile, speak to residents in broad daylight or offering to help, but in the end rob people blind.

Yes, we’re talking about the hypnotic criminals that have started to hit headlines in the capital, as a hectic city such as Jakarta is proving ripe pickings for the trade.

Hypnotherapist Mardigu Wo-wiek Prasantyo said this technique has become a favorite for criminals, as it was less risky.

“They don’t need to use guns or threaten their victims,” Mardigu said.

“It even makes it difficult for police to charge the perpetrators as the crimes are basically carried out without coercion,” he said.

Mardigu said the reason why the use of hypnosis in crimes was on the rise was because the technique was easy to learn.

Whether traditional or modern approaches, Mardigu says everyone could easily learn the techniques. The key is to basically distract people’s thoughts so they lose control of everything, making them “voluntarily” do everything that is asked by the criminals.

“You just need to know the inner workings of the mind, either through meditation, fasting, con-centration or through words,” Mardigu, a 19-year professional in the field, said.

However, the use of this technique only works in places where everything is chaotic and hectic,
he said.

“That’s why big cities like Jakarta are prone to this kind of crime because the people are easily distracted here,” Mardigu said, claiming that such crimes began to take root in 2002 in the capital.

The perpetrators usually target their victims in malls, streets and public transportation, where overwhelming crowds and noise dominate.

However, the Jakarta Police claim to have recorded only three reported cases of hypnotic crimes this year as of August. The first incident occurred in March and the last two in August.

Police believe many cases remain unsolved and unreported, saying many victims were ashamed to acknowledge that they were conned of their own will.

Arie Widyastuti is one of the victims who decided not to file a report with police. She claims to have fallen victim to hypnotic crimes twice, with both occurrences in malls, where she works as a shop manager in a camera store.

“The method was similar in both cases. [The perpetrators] visited my store, attempted to build a conversation and distract my attention,” she said.

However, Arie said she did not report the cases to police. “I only reported it to the security guards, but there has been no follow up so far,” she said, adding that she felt unsure about reporting the case to police as she didn’t really know what actually transpired.

“It happened so fast and when I realized what was happening, I had already been robbed,” Arie said, adding that she lost almost Rp 3 million (US$333) to the criminals.

Arie, according to forensic psychologist Reza Indragiri Amriel, was a textbook victim in these sorts of cases.

Reza said he believed hypnotic crimes targeted certain kinds of people who were vulnerable or had an inferiority complex.

“Certain conditions could also trigger people to become vulnerable to these crimes, for example extreme fatigue, lack of sleep and being under the influence of drugs,” he said.

When asked how to prevent such crimes from occurring, Reza said the key was to keep thinking, as a way to maintain control of one’s mind.

“Don’t lose your concentration. Always keep your mind busy,” he said.

However, for 52-year old housewife Nawangsasi, the key is a lot simpler, if a little antisocial.

She suggested that people be more oblivious when walking among crowds on the streets or in malls. “Just don’t pay attention to strangers on the streets. I know it sound bad, but it is for your own good,” said the woman, who claimed to have lost Rp 15 million after two men hypnotized her on an overpass on Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta last year.

“It is the only way you can survive in this crazy city,” she said. (rch)

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