Indonesia: ‘Money-multiplying’ shaman accused of killing at least a dozen people, arrested

The police in Indonesia have arrested a village shaman who has allegedly killed at least 12 people after he had promised to multiply their money in Central Java. Several bodies were found buried in his garden. The 45-year-oldshaman Slamet Tohari has also reportedly told the police that dozens of victims were interred on his property.

How did the police find the so-called shaman?

The arrest was made this week after a report was filed by the son of his most recent victim, a 53-year-old man named Paryanto, whotold police that the shaman’s house in Banjarnegara in Central Java was the last known location of his father. Paryanto’s family lost contact with him back in late March, reported BBC.

Tohari, who has been charged with premeditated murder would promise people that he can magically multiply money and when the clients would ask for their money back, he would poison them, said police. The 53-year-old who hailed from West Java had informed his son of his location via a WhatsApp message and asked him to notify the police if he did not return by March 26.

About the case and findings

Acting on the report filed, authorities went to Tohari’s residence in Desa Balun village, Wanayasa district on Monday, where they found shallow graves at a nearby site some of which had two to three victims buried together and along with a bottle of mineral water in every grave, reported BBC.

The victims were aged between 25 and 50 years and had been buried for at least six months and the bodies did not show any signs of violence. The police believe Tohari has been killing people since 2020, reported the UK-based media outlet. The authorities have also detained an accomplice who was promoting money-multiplying services on social media, however, Tohari said he largely acted alone.

He modelled himself as a shaman since his grandfatherMbah Slamet had been one, and promised to multiply 70 million rupiahs ($4,683) to five billion rupiahs ($334,706), said the police. Subsequently, he would lure his victims to his house for a daytime ritual and then give them drinks mixed with potassium cyanide and a sedative.

The so-called shaman had also been jailed some four years ago for counterfeit money crimes and may face the death penalty on his current charges.

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