Extortion At The Landslide Location Of Trans Timor Road In NTT, Police Intervene

The truck bounced off the road due to landslides on the Trans Timor road in Noelmina Village, Takari, Kupang, NTT, Friday, February 17 evening. (Antara-BPBD)

KUPANG - The Kupang Regional Police has alerted personnel to prevent the emergence of illegal fees or extortion against residents who take alternative routes around the landslide-affected area in Noelmina Village, Takari District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Kupang Police Chief FX Irwan Arianto said this in response to residents' complaints regarding extortion by unscrupulous residents to passers of alternative routes on the Trans Timor Road section which was affected by the landslide.

"We immediately alerted personnel at alternative route points, after we received reports from residents regarding allegations of extortion," he told journalists, Sunday 19 February, confiscated by Antara.

Irwan explained, after the landslide incident on Friday, February 17 evening, his party immediately dispatched personnel to the points affected by the disaster.

He said his party did not know if there would be an alternative route for motorcycles opened by local residents.

"That's why as soon as we get complaints from residents through the Report hotline service, the Chief of Police, we immediately alert personnel," he said.

He hopes that with the presence of police personnel on alert, there will be no more complaints from residents who want to take alternative routes.

Furthermore, Irwan said that his party would continue to oversee the entire process of handling the impact of the landslide disaster to ensure that the implementation ran safely and smoothly in the field.

The road sections affected by the landslides, he said, needed to be addressed immediately because they are the main access that connects Kupang City and Kupang Regency to four other districts on Timor Island, as well as to Timor Leste.

He added, apart from that, his party would also immediately coordinate with the community regarding the opening of an alternative route that would cross the residents' land.

"We will continue to synergize with various parties so that the process of handling this landslide disaster can recover soon," he stated.