Tangerang Old Market Street Vendor Claims Extortion: Thugs Ask For Money Every Day

Atmosphere in the Tangerang Old Market area/ Photo: IST

TANGERANG - A number of street vendors (PKL) in the Pasar Lama culinary area admit that in their place there are illegal levies (extortion). One of the traders with the initials C, admitted that every day when he started trading, he was always asked for money in the amount of Rp. 2,000 to Rp. 5,000 by parking attendants in the Old Market area. He called the money called the Salar money or the cleanliness and security fund. "The thugs here ask for two thousand on weekdays, five thousand on Sunday nights," said C when met at the location, Thursday, January 27. C said that the thugs who collected the fees were local residents. According to him, no government person was involved in the practice of extortion. "It's just like the village people. The village people," he said. C admitted that he could only surrender when the thugs asked him for money. According to him he could not do much about the naughty practice.

"I am a working person. Most bosses can complain," he said. The same thing was said by another trader, L. He told that at the place there had been a commotion between traders and thugs. For refusing to be asked for dues. “Fighting merchants with thugs. That's why I don't want to worry about it, it's better to just love it," he said. "That's for security money," he said. As previously reported, the Mayor of Tangerang, Arief R Wismansyah, admitted that there was a practice of illegal levies (extortion) that occurred in the Pasar Lama Tourism area, Tangerang. He also said that apart from street vendors (PKL), there were also official buildings in the area that were also targeted for extortion. Arief revealed after he received a report from the public. "Yesterday, we received a report from the public regarding extortion," said Arief to reporters, Thursday, January 27.