Thugs apprehended in crime-prone areas<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For years the Cocacola intersection, between Central and East
\nJakarta has been a feared area due to the presence of a gang
\nknown as Kapak Merah (red axe) that robbed motorists, even in
\nbroad daylight, smashing car windows with an axe.<\/p>\n
\"Every day I pass the Cocacola intersection on my way to the
\noffice and each time I am worried that the thugs will harass me,
\nor even rob me,\" said Husin, 37, a resident of Cempaka Putih,
\nEast Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He felt relieved knowing that the police had arrested several
\npeople who used to be seen around the intersection over the
\nweekend in the city's intensive crackdown on thuggery and
\nlawlessness.<\/p>\n
\"I hope no more thugs are seen or crimes take place at the
\nintersection after the arrests,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
In East Jakarta alone, the police had detained 12 thugs from
\nthe Cocacola intersection, 13 in Cawang, 54 in Pulogadung, and 32
\nthugs in several other places known as crime-prone areas.<\/p>\n
They confiscated dozens of sharp weapons, several guns, drugs,
\nhundreds of pirated CDs, and gambling machines.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said over the weekend
\nthat some of them were caught extorting pedestrians and
\npassengers, others were nabbed for carrying weapons, gambling and
\ndrinking.<\/p>\n
\"We have processed them. Some were handed over to the Ministry
\nof Social Affairs for rehabilitation while others, who were
\ncaught committing crimes, were detained in the respective police
\nsubprecincts and precincts,\" Tjiptono told the Post.<\/p>\n
Tjiptono said that police had arrested dozens of other thugs
\nin many other areas.<\/p>\n
\"The number of thugs arrested could be much higher in the days
\nto come as we have not received a report from West Jakarta, North
\nJakarta, Central Jakarta, South Jakarta, Tangerang and Bekasi
\nprecincts yet,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The police operation to eradicate thugs in the capital, or
\nSarutama, will last for one month.<\/p>\n
The operation was launched after President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono ordered National Police chief Gen. Sutanto and
\nprovincial administrations across the country to crack down thugs
\nearlier this month as the President received many text messages
\ncomplaining about the presence of thugs.<\/p>\n
Over a thousand thugs across the capital have been arrested in
\nthe last 12 days.<\/p>\n
Tjiptono said that he believed that the massive arrests would
\nreduce the number of thugs, and would at the very least deter
\nothers.<\/p>\n
\"We will evaluate the result of the operation late next month
\nbased on input from the public. We hope there will be no more
\ncomplaints after that. But if we still receive many complaints,
\nwe will continue the operation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tjiptono encouraged people who had any problems with thugs to
\nsend a text message to the cellular phone toll-free number 1717.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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