The East Java Police Are Looking For The Culprits Who Kicked The Semeru Offerings To A Number Of Areas

Head of Public Relations of the East Java Police, Kombes Gatot Repli Handoko/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

SURABAYA - The East Java Police Team is still chasing the perpetrators of the offerings at the Mount Semeru disaster area, Lumajang Regency, to a number of areas.

"We did not only go to the NTB (West Nusa Tenggara) area, but in several places suspected of being the location of the perpetrators," said Head of Public Relations of the East Java Police, Kombes Gatot Repli Handoko, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, January 11.

Despite pursuing and investigating, the police are still having trouble revealing the identity of the perpetrator.

"Still in search, haven't been found. We can't update the person concerned (the perpetrator) yet. Because this is still under police investigation, later when we find it, it will be submitted," he said.

The police have dug up information around the scene where the offerings were dumped in the Mount Semeru area, but the public did not recognize the face of the man who went viral in the videotape.

"The community does not know the person in question (the perpetrator). If the information is that the person concerned is a volunteer, we are still checking the data at the disaster response post, whether the person is a volunteer or not, this is still being investigated," he said.

Previously, a viral video of a person wearing a black vest cursing the use of offerings in the Mount Semeru area, Lumajang Regency. In the video, he threw offerings in front of him, and some were even kicked.

The East Java Police even formed a team to chase a man who kicked the offering.

DPD Prajaniti Hindu Indonesia East Java reported the man who kicked the offering at the Mount Semeru disaster site to the Integrated Police Service Center (SPKT) of the East Java Police, on Monday, January 10.

"We need to find out what that person's motivation is. Apart from throwing away offerings, we are worried that there is a motivation for fighting between religious believers," said Deputy Chair for Law and Politics of the DPD Prajaniti Hindu Indonesia, East Java I Ketut Swardana, to reporters.

He hopes that the authorities find the man who kicked the offerings and conduct a thorough investigation.