Indonesian police have arrested a magician named Salamit Tohari, who is accused of killing at least 12 people. Several bodies were found buried in his garden. Tohari admitted to police that a number of his victims had been buried on his land. He was charged with premeditated murder of customers at his home in Banjarnegara, Central Java. Police say he promised to magically double money and when customers wanted their money back, he poisoned them. The victims range in age from 25 to 50 and some have been buried for six months. Tohari was previously jailed in 2019 for counterfeiting money and now faces the death penalty. Multiplying money scams are common in Indonesia, and Tohari portrayed himself as a magician who could multiply 70 million rupees to 5 billion rupees.
- Jerome Werawan and Nicholas Young
- From Jakarta and Singapore
Salamit Tohari was arrested this week on charges of at least 12 murders
Indonesian police have arrested a magician accused of killing at least 12 people, after several bodies were found buried in the man’s garden.
Salamit Tohari, 45, admitted to police that many of the victims had been buried on his land.
He was charged with premeditated murder of customers at his home in Banjarnegara, Central Java.
Police said he promised to magically double the money, and when customers wanted their money back, he poisoned them.
He was arrested this week after the son of his latest alleged victim told police that Tohari’s home was the last known location of his father.
Barrianto’s family has not been able to contact him since 24 March.
He told his son his location via WhatsApp and told him to report to the police if he did not return by 26 March. A police report was issued the next day.
Authorities then went to Tohari’s home in Desa Balon village, Wanayasa district on Monday, where they discovered several graves at a nearby site.
Some graves had two to three victims buried together. A bottle of mineral water was also found in each grave.
Police say the victims range in age from 25 to 50, and some have been buried for six months. Their bodies showed no signs of violence.
It is not clear if the owners of those bodies have been identified. The police did not provide information as to whether any investigations were underway in these cases.
Tohari did not deny the killing. He was previously jailed in 2019 for counterfeiting money and faces the death penalty on the current charges.
Police said he portrayed himself as a magician, Mbah Salamit (Grandpa Salamit), who could multiply 70 million rupees (US$4,683) to 5 billion rupees.
They believed Tohari has been killing his victims since 2020.
Police said he lured his victims to his home, where he then fed them drinks mixed with potassium cyanide and a sedative.
Police claim the killings were carried out on a farm in Baloon Village
Police also arrested an accomplice who was promoting money multiplying services on social media. But Tohari said he has largely acted alone.
Experts told the BBC that multiplying money scams are common in Indonesia, with numerous social media posts promoting such services.
They succeeded because the community’s beliefs in the occult were still strong in the country.
Sociologist Imam Prasojo from the University of Indonesia told the BBC that it takes time to educate people about these scams, and that the police need to act more quickly against them.
In conclusion, the arrest of Salamit Tohari has shocked the community in Banjarnegara, Central Java. The discovery of several bodies buried in his garden has exposed the dark reality of the multiplying money scam, a common practice in Indonesia that preys on people’s belief in the occult. While experts agree that it takes time to educate people about these scams, it’s essential for the police to act more quickly against them. The case of Salamit Tohari serves as a warning that what seems magical can often be a cover for a heinous crime.