Blackmailers Pretending To Be Lame In East Jakarta, Police: Don't Judge Yourself, Report To Us

Head of Public Relations of Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Endra Zulpan (Rizky AP/VOI)

JAKARTA - Polda Metro Jaya commented on the alleged extortion case in which the perpetrator pretended to be limp and became a victim of a hit-and-run at Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta. The public is asked not to take justice into their own hands.

"Report it to the police if you know of a violation of the law that is known to the public. Entrust law enforcement to the police," said Kombes Zulpan when contacted, Saturday, January 29.

In addition, people are also asked to be mature. According to Zulpan, the response of residents if they are in this situation should not be emotional and provoke a commotion.

He asked residents not to make judgments on their own when faced with a similar incident like what happened in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta.

"Don't be easily provoked by invitations that are not yet believed to be true. Don't take justice into your own hands," he said.

The alleged blackmail incident with the perpetrator pretending to be limp and claiming to be a victim of a hit-and-run occurred at Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta, on Wednesday, January 26. The incident went viral.

Even so, the police considered the perpetrator's actions as an old mode of practice in the crime of extortion.

"This is the old mode," said the Head of Criminal Investigation at the East Jakarta Metro Police AKBP Ahsanul Muqaffi. According to Ahsanul, such actions have existed since five years ago. However, thanks to social media, a similar incident has now gone viral in the community.

"Five years ago it was like that," he said.

Regarding the case that is currently garnering attention, Ahasnul said that his party was still conducting an investigation. The police continued to collect witnesses and evidence of clues at the location.

"(The perpetrator) has not been identified," he said.