Police step up security ahead of Christmas, New Year in Indonesia

A police officer with a sniffer dog inspecting the Jakarta Cathedral on Dec 23, 2025, in preparations for mass in Central Jakarta. - Reuters

JAKARTA/MEDAN: With the 2025 year-end holiday fast approaching, the National Police have stepped up security measures nationwide, deploying hundreds of thousands of personnel to ensure the public can celebrate Christmas and New Year safely.

The police have launched the annual nationwide Operasi Lilin, or Operation Candle, to ensure public safety and maintain order at churches, tourism sites and transport hubs during the year-end holidays