Eid Holidays, Sukabumi Police Arrest 8 Perpetrators Of Tourist Extortion

The perpetrators of extortion with the mode of attracting parking levies on tourists at Karanhawu Beach, Cisolok District, Sukabumi Regency, West Java were arrested by the 2022 Ketupat Lodaya Operations Task Force of the Sukabumi Police. AMONG

SUKABUMI - The Law Enforcement Task Force (Gakum) Operation Ketupat Lodaya 2022 Sukabumi Police arrested eight perpetrators of illegal levies (extortion) against tourists from several tourist attractions on the South Coast of Sukabumi Regency, West Java.

"Of the eight perpetrators, one of them is the head of the Youth Organization. They were arrested at two different tourist sites, namely Karanghawu Beach, Cisolok Village/Sub-district, and Cipunagaloji Tourism Object, Cibitung Village, Sangrawayang Village, Simpenan District," said Sukabumi Police Chief AKBP Dedy Darmawansyah. reported by Antara, Friday, May 6.

The arrests, led directly by Kasatgas Gakum Operation Ketupat Lodaya 2022, who is also the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit at the Sukabumi Police, AKP I Putu Asti Hermawan Santosa, in the Karanghawu Beach area arrested five perpetrators of extortion with the initials DM (42), RY (40), K (52), H ( 30), and DA (42) who acted as coordinator.

The five are residents of Cisolok Village. Then at the Cipunagaloji tourist attraction, the police arrested HB (34) who is the head of Karang Taruna, SB (23) and C (22), all three residents of Sangrawayang Village, Simpenan District.

The method used by the perpetrators in the Cipunagaloji area is to collect parking fees from tourists on Cipunaga land without permission from the authorized institution.

Meanwhile, the other modus operandi of the perpetrators operating in Karanghawu Beach is extortion using tickets based on the Cisolok Village Regulation with a profit-sharing system. The parking fee for two-wheelers is Rp. 2,000 and motorbike storage is Rp. 5,000.

From the results of the disclosure of the alleged extortion case, the police confiscated IDR 671 thousand from the perpetrators at the Cipunagaloji tourist location. Meanwhile, from the perpetrators operating at Karanghawu Beach, Rp. 89 thousand rupiah was confiscated, five parking attendant identity cards, two whistles and a parking vest.

The police also confiscated IDR 2,180,000 in cash, two new parking vests, 22 sets of new parking fees, eight sets of used parking fees for deposits, a book of deposit records, a general cash book and several other pieces of evidence from the Karanghawu Beach parking coordinator.

"In this case, we are only providing guidance to the perpetrators of extortion not to do the same thing. If they are caught again, we will not hesitate to take firmer action, such as criminalizing them," said Asti.

The perpetrators of this extortion often make tourists who are enjoying holidays and leave with Lebaran 1443 H, their presence also tarnishes the name of the South Coast tourist attraction, Sukabumi Regency which is included in the UNESCO Global Geopark Ciletuh Palabuhanratu area.