Hundreds Of Bottles Of Alcohol Confiscated By Officers From Nightclubs In The Presidential Palace Area During Ramadan

Officers confiscate liquor without a permit at one of the entertainment venues near the State Palace/ Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI

JAKARTA - Joint officers of the TNI, Polri and Satpol PP in Gambir Sub-district held a liquor operation during Ramadan at a number of entertainment venues in the Gambir area, around the Indonesian Presidential Palace, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, April 27, evening.

As a result, officers confiscated 100 bottles of liquor from various brands at several locations. They, the sellers, do not have official permission.

The initial search was carried out at a shophouse suspected of selling liquor in the Jalan Hasyim Ashari area. In this shop, the owner was surprised to see the arrival of the officers. The shop owner also admitted that he no longer sells alcoholic beverages in his shop.

Officers confiscate liquor without a permit at one of the entertainment venues near the State Palace/ Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI

"It's gone, it's no longer selling drinks," he said in front of the joint officers, Wednesday 27 April, early in the morning.

Even though they heard the shop owner's reasoning, the officers did not easily believe it. After showing the liquor operation assignment letter, the officer asked the shop owner for permission to check.

However, the officers were surprised when they found a bottle of alcoholic drink that was kept by the shop owner in a locked cupboard.

"It's only for drinking alone, sir, not for sale," he said.

Officers also found a number of empty bottles displaying various types of drinks in the shop. Officers also found a number of empty boxes already empty.

The officers finally secured some of the drinks containing alcohol without official permission into a truck belonging to the Satpol PP.

Furthermore, the search was carried out again at a cafe selling alcoholic beverages on another Hasyim Ashari Street. Here the officers found hundreds of bottles of alcoholic beverages without official permission.

To the officer, the cafe owner cannot show an alcoholic beverage business license in accordance with the drinks he sells. Because they could not show a permit, the officers also confiscated a number of alcoholic drinks into the trucks that had been provided.

Kasatpol PP Gambir District Delky Siregar said the seller could not show the liquor sales permit. Moreover, they operate in the holy month of Ramadan.

Officers confiscate liquor without a permit at one of the entertainment venues near the State Palace/ Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI

"If he has legality, we will review the liquor again. Earlier when we operated, they couldn't show the legality of the permit," Delky told VOI at the location, Wednesday 27 April, early in the morning at around 01.30 WIB.

As a result of the operation, hundreds of bottles of liquor were secured by joint officers. Meanwhile, regarding the existence of a shophouse which was allegedly selling liquor, Delky promised to continue monitoring. "We used to have alcohol operations, we will review that in the next three months it is empty and not available. Because there is information from the public, we will carry out operations again in the holy month of Ramadan," he said.

The operation was carried out by 45 joint officers of the TNI, Polri and Satpol PP, Gambir District.

"The location of liquor sales is covert and without permission, we will continue to monitor it during Ramadan until Eid homecoming," he concluded.