Suspected street criminals sit before a police officer at the Central Java Police headquarters on May 3. - JP
JAKARTA: The Central Java Police have arrested nearly a thousand suspects in a sweeping crackdown on street crime, amid nationwide effort to combat racketeering and extortion that business leaders warn are undermining Indonesia’s economic climate.
Central Java Police Deputy Chief Brig Gen Usman Latief said authorities arrested 888 men and 28 women during a province-wide operation from May 12 to 31, targeting gangs, rogue mass organisations and street crime.
“They were linked to 711 cases, including vandalism, fraud, extortion and street brawls,” he said on Tuesday.
“We are continuing investigations into 276 of those cases, and the suspects will remain in custody pending legal proceedings.
The rest of the suspects will not face prosecution and will instead undergo a rehabilitation programme before being released.”
Among those arrested in the province-wide operation was the head of the Pemuda Pancasila (PP) youth organisation in Blora Regency, identified only as MJ.
He was detained for allegedly defrauding a local business owner. MJ and an accomplice allegedly posed as representatives of a company that claimed it could supply discounted diesel fuel. In reality, the company had already shut down. The victim reportedly paid Rp 333 million for the fuel.
The suspects have now been charged under Articles 378 and 372 of the Criminal Code for fraud and embezzlement. If found guilty, they each face up to four years in prison.
Central Java Police also arrested four members of the mass organization GRIB Jaya for allegedly damaging property belonging to the state-owned railway company, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).
In December, state-owned railway company PT KAI fenced off an unused plot of land in Semarang to prevent squatting. However, four members of the GRIB Jaya organization allegedly tore down the fence and stole the materials. The suspects have been charged under Articles 170 and 363 of the Criminal Code for vandalism and theft which carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
Authorities also detained four individuals who posed as journalists in an attempt to extort public figures and community leaders.
The suspects allegedly stalked their victims and threatened to expose personal secrets or scandals in the media unless they were paid millions of rupiah.
They reportedly carried press IDs from media outlets that are not registered with the Press Council. Police say that they have been operating since 2020 and are linked to a larger group of around 175 people involved in similar blackmail schemes.
Central Java Police spokesperson Usman stated that out of the 916 suspects arrested in May, 33 were members of mass organizations, including Pemuda Pancasila, Grib Jaya, PSHT, LSM GMBI and Pagar Nusa.
"This crackdown is part of our commitment to ensuring that investors feel safe investing in Central Java. Although the operation has concluded, we will continue surveillance and prevention efforts against street crime," he said, as quoted by Kompas.com.
According to the Indonesian Industrial Estates Association (HKI), rampant extortion by rogue mass organisations and gangs has cost industry players operating in Indonesia hundreds of trillions of rupiah.
In response to growing concerns over extortion, the National Police launched a nationwide operation on May 1 targeting rogue mass organisations and criminal activity on the streets.
The government also established an anti-extortion task force and enlisted support from the military to help address the issue. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
