Police Ask Residents to Return Looted Trucks During Riots in Tangerang

A number of residents blocked and damaged a number of mining vehicles belonging to a national strategic project (PSN) at Pantai Indah Kosambi 2, Tangerang Regency. ANTARA/Azmi Samsul Maarif

JAKARTA - Tangerang City Metro Police appealed to residents who looted during the riots and blocking of mining trucks for the construction of the Pantai Indah Kosambi National Strategic Project (PSN-PIK) 2, Tangerang Regency, Banten to return the items.

"If there are still those who are securing the items, immediately return them to the Police. We appeal to return them immediately, because they belong to other people," said Tangerang City Metro Police Chief Senior Commissioner Zain Dwi Nugroho as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, November 9.

Zain has also met with religious leaders, community leaders, village heads, youth leaders regarding the looting carried out by residents against the truck.

Zain asked residents who are still securing the items to hand them over to the Police.

"We appeal to the public that it is clear, we will make persuasive efforts to them. But if the public does not want to be persuaded, then we will be forced to enforce the law firmly against the people who took something that did not belong to them," he said.

Residents of Salembaran Jaya Village, Teluknaga District, Tangerang Regency, Banten, looted goods and spare parts of mining trucks for the National Strategic Project (PSN) development project in Pantai Indah Kosambi (PIK) 2.

The residents' actions were triggered by a traffic accident on Jalan Salembaran Jaya Barat, Thursday (7/11), with serious injuries to local residents.

A number of items that could be looted, such as spare parts, were taken by residents. Meanwhile, items that could not be taken were damaged.

In addition, there was a mining truck that was damaged and burned by residents protesting the vehicle's activities.