Police Arrest Members Of Community Organizations Struggling For Thugs' Ration In Garut

GARUT - The Garut Police Team has arrested five members from two warring community organizations (ormas) over fighting over thugs' ration or money for thugs on a sand mining area in Talagawangi Village, Garut Regency, West Java.

"We have secured the two groups of mass organizations, there are a total of five suspects," said Garut Police Chief Grand Commissioner Adjutant Wirdhanto Hadicaksono during a press conference to arrest members of conflicting mass organizations at the sand mining site, as reported by Antara, Thursday, February 10.

The dispute that occurred at the end of January 2022 started when one of the mass organizations that had previously been in power in the mining area was visited by another mass organization who asked for thugs' ration or often referred to by them as coordination money.

The arrival of the members of the mass organization made the members of the mass organization who were already there disapprove of it, resulting in clashes and attacks which resulted in injuries to the victims.

"Those from two different groups of mass organizations are motivated to fight over the sand mining area which is suspected to be illegal," said the Police Chief.

When his party received the information, the team then carried out an investigation to finally secure all the members involved in the dispute.

The police also secured evidence that was used by the suspect during the dispute, including stones, T-shirts, and attributes of mass organizations.

All members of the mass organization were temporarily detained at the Garut Police Station to undergo further legal examination and were charged with Article 368 on Extortion and Article 170 of the Criminal Code on Beatings with a threat of 9 years in prison.

Meanwhile, the illegal sand mining area was closed and a police line was installed for further investigation.

"We have given the police line to the sand mine," he said.