A Total Of 10 Extortionists In The UGGCP Tourism Area Were Arrested By Saber Pungli Team

The money from extortion confiscated by the Saber Extortion Team of the Sukabumi Police from 10 extortionists in the UGGCP tourist area, Sukabumi Regency, West Java on Tuesday, (25/4). (Doc. ANTARA)

SUKABUMI - The Sukabumi Regional Police's Clean Sweep Team (Saber Pungli), West Java, arrested 10 extortionists against tourists in the UNESCO Global Geopark Ciletuh Palabuhanratu (UGGCP) tourist area, Sukabumi Regency, Tuesday.

"We arrested the extortionists in several different locations. Millions of rupiah were confiscated from the hands of the extortionists," said Saber Extortion Chairperson of Sukabumi Regency, Kompol Septa Firmansyah, in Sukabumi, as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, April 25.

Septa said that at the Palampang Beach location, his party secured the perpetrators with the initials U, US, and D with evidence of extortion money of IDR 4,498,000.

Then, on Gunungsumping Street, officers arrested four perpetrators of extortion with the initials A, D, DE, and I. The perpetrators are currently being questioned and given guidance by the Sukabumi Regency Yustisi Working Group.

The modus operandi of extortionists is by asking tourists for money on the grounds of security, cleanliness, and parking, some even ask money from tourists who take the rat route to a tourist attraction.

The arrest of the 10 perpetrators of extortion, he said, was a form of the police's commitment to provide a sense of security and comfort to tourists who are on holiday spending time off and on leave with Eid 2023. In fact, if something happens to tourists, these perpetrators will not provide assistance.

He said that the information from extortion money would be used by them for personal and group interests. Their action was not ordered by anyone, but the group's initiative by taking advantage of the booming tourists who came to various UGGCP tourist attractions.

"The police did not arrest the perpetrators of extortion, but only recorded them and provided guidance. However, if they are found to be carrying out similar actions, the police will not hesitate to throw them in jail and process them legally," he concluded.