Tangerang Police Guarantees The Safety Of Street Vendors Who Want To Report Extortion Actions In The Old Market

Tangerang City Metro Police Chief Kombes Komarudin responds to reports of extortion in the old market of Tangerang/ Photo: Jehan/ VOI

TANGERANG - Police continue to investigate the case of illegal levies (Pungli) in the Old Market area of Tangerang City. Tangerang City Metro Police Chief Kombes Komarudin said he would pick up the ball from street vendors (PKL), if they did not dare to report.

"Pick up the ball if the public doesn't want to report it," said Komarudin when contacted, Thursday, January 27.

Therefore, he asked street vendors (PKL) to immediately report any extortion in the area.

"We are ready to receive reports from the public if there are indications of threats, thuggery. I've opened. (for traders) make a report, who is the culprit, the person, let us take it," said Komarudin when contacted, Thursday, January 27.

Komarudin guarantees that he will protect traders who intend to report illegal acts in the area. This is done to prevent similar cases from happening.

"Please don't report to us, anyone can. Anyway, we guarantee that it is concerned. The public, traders, don't have to be afraid to report it," he said.

Previously reported, Tangerang Mayor Arief R Wismansyah revealed 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.

Arief admitted that his party had coordinated with the local police to deal with extortion in the Old Market area.

"It's been coordinated. Hopefully we can handle it together," he said.

In addition, the steps taken by the Tangerang City Government (Pemkot) will be to make regulations regarding the retribution for street vendors who sell there. According to him, with this regulation, extortion will not happen again.

“The retribution must be arranged, someone must manage it, it must enter clearly so that there are no elements. So there are no more extortion that burdens the community," he said.

Meanwhile, one of the traders in the Old Market area with the initial C, admitted that every day when he started trading, he was always asked for money 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.