West Java police partner with Meta to hunt down kidnapping suspect

Bandung, West Java (ANTARA) – West Java Police are working with Meta to trace the digital footprint of a fugitive suspect accused of kidnapping and assaulting a 29-year-old woman in Bandung, authorities said.

West Java Police Chief Inspector General Rudi Setiawan said the cooperation aims to locate suspect Taufik Hidayat through his social media activity.

“We are collaborating with Meta, which manages social media data, to help detect the suspect’s whereabouts through online activity,” Setiawan said on Tuesday.

Police have formed a joint team involving the Cyber Directorate, General Criminal Investigation Directorate, and Narcotics Investigation Directorate to investigate the case.

Setiawan said investigators believe the suspect may have been involved in crimes beyond kidnapping and assault.

“We believe the scope of this case may be broader. There are indications the suspect could be linked to other criminal acts,” he said.

Preliminary investigations found the suspect previously worked as a debt collector.

Investigators are reviewing his employment history and seeking information from companies where he is believed to have worked.

“We have identified several companies and will question them regarding his whereabouts and conduct,” Setiawan said.

Meanwhile, forensic doctors have documented multiple injuries suffered by the victim.

Medical examinations found injuries across several parts of her body that investigators suspect resulted from violence during her captivity.

“The victim suffered injuries affecting the eyes and lips, cuts on the legs from a sharp object, cigarette burns, and other wounds,” police said.

Setiawan said the findings would support efforts to establish the suspect’s alleged actions during the victim’s three-year disappearance.

The case emerged after the victim’s family received a WhatsApp message from an unidentified person revealing her location at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung.

Family members went to the hospital and found the victim suffering serious injuries to her head, face, and legs, along with minor injuries to her hands.

The victim had been missing and out of contact with her family for about three years before she was found at the hospital.

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