24 Thugs of Tanjung Priok Named Suspects of Illegal Levy
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17 June 2021 20:35 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Metro Jaya Police Chief Insp. Gen. Fadil Imran on Thursday said authorities have named four thug groups as suspects behind the series of extortions and illegal levies (pungli) in North Jakarta port of Tanjung Priok.
The police chief said 24 people from four groups; namely Bad Boy, Haluan Jaya Perkasa, Sapta Jaya, and Tanjung Raya Kemilau, are responsible for forcing truck drivers to give up some of their money for 'security' that the groups provide.
“The truck drivers would be ‘bothered’ by thugs if they don’t pay [the security fees]. But the thugs are actually members of these groups too,” said Fadil Imran at the Metro Jaya Police headquarters on June 17.
These coordinated thugs are also known to distribute stickers to mark which businesses have paid security services for their trucks.
He added that the suspects operating in the area of Tanjung Priok have managed to collect Rp9 million to Rp177 million from a string of extortions. The thugs now face criminal charges up to 9-year imprisonment.
Read: Jakarta Police Set Up Special Team to Tackle Illegal Levies on Truck Drivers
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