The Imposters Of Truck Drivers And Street Vendors In Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, Arrested By The Police

Photo via Instagram polres_banjarbaru

BANJARBARU - The Banjarbaru Police Criminal Investigation Unit team, South Kalimantan (Kalsel) arrested 26 people related to thuggery and illegal levies (extortion). This operation followed up on the order of the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to suppress thugs and extortionists.

Of the 26 people who were arrested, 14 were caught red-handed committing extortion and acts of thuggery. While the other 12 people related to community diseases found by officers in the field.

Quoted from a statement from the Banjarbaru Police Public Relations Officer, Friday, June 18, these thugs asked truck drivers for money, the owner of a street vendor stall at the Thursday Morning Market, including asking for money for security from the stall owner.

"Police activities that are enhanced by targeting extortion and thuggery, especially in the jurisdiction of the Banjarbaru Police will continue to be carried out by personnel both at the Polres and Polsek ranks at the Banjarbaru Police in the hope of maintaining security and public order in Banjarbaru City," said the statement from the Banjarbaru Police.

Previously, the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo issued a Telegram Letter to suppress extortion and thuggery at ports throughout Indonesia.

This telegram was issued on the orders of President Jokowi who asked the National Police Chief to solve extortion and thugs who made port drivers complain.

The Telegram letter numbered ST/1251/VI/HUK.7.1/2021 dated June 15, 2021, was addressed to the Kapolda due to rampant acts of thuggery and illegal levies (extortion) in the port area and its surroundings.

This condition causes unrest and is one of the factors that causes weak national competitiveness and hinders national economic growth.

"In order to support the acceleration of the national economic recovery, the security and social order must be conducive," said the National Police's Criminal Investigation Officer, Komjen Agus Andrianto, in a written statement from the National Police's Public Relations Division, Wednesday, June 16.

Agus conveyed that currently the government's national economic recovery program is continuously being boosted, lest thuggery and illegal levies become an obstacle.

"The state must not lose to these acts of thuggery," continued Agus.