TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several fishermen and fishing boat owners at North Jakarta’s Muara Baru and Muara Angke fishing port complained about illegal levies allegedly practiced by the Jakarta Water Police at the Jakarta Bay.

Fishermen claimed that they were charged with fees from Rp50,000 to Rp5 million by the alleged policemen whenever a ship enters and exits the dock.

Today’s edition of Koran Tempo published an article about this illegal practice that has been going on for years. An owner of a fishing boat at Muara Angke said that he was forced to pay Rp5 million in late December last year. Police personnel stopped him after transporting fish from Palembang to Muara Angke.

“I was stopped in the waters near Bidadari Island,” said Fadli on Saturday, January 13, 2018.

The 35-year-old man recalled that his boat was not equipped with proper sailing permits. He said that the Jakarta Water Police used that as a reason to extort him. He claimed that the police threatened to auction off Fadly’s 100 gross ton fishing vessel if he refused to pay.

Just two days ago, Tempo found that extortions were still common near Muara Angke fishing port. The water police prefer to “hunt” deep sea fishermen and offshore fishermen that about to depart. Authorities at the Mutiara beach police post pursued the fishermen using speedboats.

The police usually check whether a fishing boat is not equipped with proper shipping documents. The alleged police would ask for money ranging from Rp50,000 up to Rp100,000. They even offer to escort any fishing boat from the port to Bidadari Island for Rp500,000.

Jakarta Metro Police spokesman Commissioner Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono declined to comment on the matter and suggested Tempo to report the findings to the Jakarta Metro Police’s internal Affairs.

AVIT HIDAYAT