Ahead of Sahur, Not Preparing to Eat, 17 Young Men in Bandung Want to Fight, Bring 2 Knives, Arrested

JAKARTA - The Bandung City Police (Polrestabes) arrested 17 young people suspected of intending to fight in the Mekarwangi area, Bandung City, on Tuesday morning. From the arrest of two sharp weapons of the parang type were confiscated.

Head of Operations of Bandung Police AKBP Asep Saepudin explained that the action began when the Lodaya Precision Prabu Team carried out a routine patrol in the Bojongloa Kidul Police area before the time of dawn.

"During a patrol in the Mekarwangi area, members found a group of young people. When approached by officers, they tried to escape," Asep said when confirmed by Bandung, quoted by Antara.

Asep said officers then carried out a pursuit and managed to secure 17 people, while another one escaped.

"All the young people were immediately taken to the Bandung Police Headquarters for further examination," he said.

From the results of the initial examination at the location, the police found two sharp-edged blades of a parang type. However, officers did not find other evidence such as narcotics, illegal drugs, or alcoholic beverages.

"The majority of those arrested are still students and teenagers. Some are from the Cibaduyut and Sayuran areas. In addition to students, there are also a number of school alumni and one person who has already worked," he said.

Asep said his party was still investigating the purpose of the group gathering in the early hours of the morning with sharp weapons to find out whether there were any plans for action that could potentially disrupt public security and order, especially ahead of Ramadan.

Asep emphasized that the police would not tolerate activities that could potentially disrupt public order such as illegal racing, glove wars, or street violence which often increase during Ramadan.

"We prohibit any community or group from holding sahur on the road activities without clear coordination because it has the potential to trigger friction between groups," he said.

The police also appealed to parents to increase supervision of their children's activities, especially at night and early morning during Ramadan.