TNI AL Troops Arrest Crew Of 8 Coal Thief Motor Boats In East Kalimantan

JAKARTA - The Balikpapan Navy Base patrol team (Lanal) arrested 47 crew members carrying 8 motorboats (klotok) while stealing coal from a barge at Muara Kembang Buoy 17 Samarinda, East Kalimantan.

The raid on the coal thief was carried out by deploying three fleets from the Anggana Naval Post (Posal) and the Muara Pegah Observer Post (Posmat) on Monday, January 17 evening.

They were ambushed while in action moving coal from a barge to a motorboat.

Head of the Navy Information Service (Kadispenal) First Admiral TNI Julius Widjojono said the arrests began with intensive patrols.

Julius said this activity was a follow-up to the viral video news regarding coal theft.

The Balikpapan Lanal, in accordance with orders from KSAL, Admiral TNI Yudo Margono, is more intensive in carrying out patrols and enforcing laws and regulations in accordance with Law No. 34 concerning the TNI.

Meanwhile, Danlanal Balikpapan Marine Colonel (F) Siswo Widodo, said this arrest was a firm action taken considering the development of the national situation regarding the need for coal.

According to him, the perpetrators of the theft were local people and some migrants who worked as "cleaning" coal barges that were finished loading from vessels and reprocessing.

This "cleaning" activity is a local wisdom that has been passed down for a long time and has been used as a livelihood, the results of which they accumulate and sell back to coal companies.

"However, this time it was caused by the urgency to fulfill their daily needs because they had not had any cargo for about 2 weeks, resulting in them being desperate to commit theft," said Siswo.

Currently all motorboats and crews are docked at Posal Anggana. Legal proceedings were carried out.