5 Members Of The PPKM Task Force Perpetrator Of Extortion At The Palembang-Lampung Toll Block Arrested

Five suspected perpetrators of illegal levies (extortion) at the PPKM blocking post at the entrance to the Kramasan Palembang (South Sumatra)-Lampung toll road were arrested by the police (VIA ANTARA)

LAMPUNG - Five suspected perpetrators of illegal levies (extortion) at the PPKM blocking post at the entrance to the Kramasan Palembang (South Sumatra)-Lampung toll road were arrested by the police.

Director of General Criminal Investigation, South Sumatra Police Kombes Pol Hisar Siallagan explained that the five suspects were members of the Ogan Ilir Regency COVID-19 PPKM Task Force.

The suspects who are honorary employees of the Ogan Ilir Regency Government are Bd (23) honorary BPBD, AR (27) and NK (21) honorary Satpol PP and Firefighters, Her (39) and NP (19) honorary for the Department of Transportation.

In the title of the case, it was revealed that the five suspects had committed extortion after one of the victims of extortion recorded the incident.

The video recording the action of extortionists from the COVID-19 PPKM Task Force in Ogan Ilir Regency, South Sumatra was then circulated on social media, Instagram and went viral or became the center of public attention.

The incident that has been published on social media recently is true, the Criminal Investigation Team managed to secure the five suspected perpetrators of extortion who are honorary employees of the Ogan Ilir Regency Government.

The suspect commits extortion to truck drivers or fuso vehicles who cannot show vaccine certificates and antigen swab test results as a condition of health protocols to pass through border areas.

The five perpetrators asked for a sum of money from drivers who did not have mobility requirements at the district border blocking posts.

Drivers who do not meet the passing requirements should be directed by them as task force officers to turn around, not be targeted for extortion.

The amount of money the perpetrators demanded from the driver varied from Rp. 20,000 to Rp. 50,000 per truck or fuso.

"As a result of the extortion, the suspects when asked for their statements by the investigators admitted that in a day they received up to Rp. 200,000," said the Directorate General of Criminal Investigation, quoted by Antara, Thursday, July 22.