JAKARTA - The number of reports of illegal levies (extortion) cases in a number of natural tourism parks (TWA) in Sukabumi, West Java has made the Sukabumi Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) aggressively hunt down the perpetrators of extortion.
Sukabumi Police Chief AKBP Dedy Darmawansah said the extortionists were circulating in three natural tourism parks (TWA) with the mode of asking tourists for money to pay non-tax state revenue retribution tickets (PNBP).
"The alleged occurrence of extortion is due to many reports from the public and tourists who are required to pay ticket fees when entering the three TWAs," said Sukabumi Police Chief AKBP Dedy Darmawansah in Sukabumi, quoted on Tuesday, January 11.
The three TWAs that became fields for extortion by these individuals were TWA Sukawayana in Cikakak District, TWA Katapang Condong and TWA Istqomah in Citepus Village, Palabuhanratu District.
Dedy said, his party immediately mobilized personnel from the Sukabumi Police Satreskrim to conduct a sweep of the three TWAs. From the location, his party found tickets for parking payments with a value of Rp. 7,500 for two-wheeled vehicles and Rp. 15 thousand for four-wheeled vehicles.
From the results of the investigation regarding ticket withdrawals at TWA, it turned out that it was not in accordance with Government Regulation No. 12 of 2014 concerning Types and Tariffs of Non-Tax State Revenues applicable to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia.
According to the government regulation, the ticket fee that must be paid by tourists when entering the TWA is IDR 5,000 for two-wheeled vehicles and IDR 10,000 for four-wheeled vehicles.
The officers also know that those who collect ticket fees for parking from tourists are not BKSDA officers who manage TWA, but as partners.
However, the person claiming to be a partner must deposit some money from the ticket payment to an individual on behalf of the BKSDA.
"We are still developing this case, whether the withdrawal of the levy was ordered from above or just an individual," he added.
Dedy said that his party will firmly punish any extortionists if the results of the investigation prove that there is a criminal act of extortion and their status will be raised from investigation to investigation.
Currently, his party has confiscated a number of evidences in the form of cash Rp.890,500, a bundle of individual tickets at a rate of Rp.7,500, a bundle of KR2 tickets at a rate of Rp.7,500 and a bundle of KR4 tickets at a rate of Rp.15 thousand.
The perpetrators are still under development, and if someone has been named a suspect, his party will release it to the media crew on duty in Sukabumi. On the other hand, he is also angry with the existence of extortion with the mode of retribution withdrawal, so his party will firmly put it in order.
Meanwhile, Kasatreskrim Sukabumi Police AKP Rizka Fadhila said the investigation into alleged extortion related to ticket suitability had been carried out since early December 2021. In addition, the focus of the investigation was on the suitability of ticket rates because this is PNBP so that each stage of the investigation must be carried out carefully.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
