500 'Brong' Exhaust Pipes Transformed into Komodo Dragon Statue in Labuan Bajo

The West Manggarai Police, together with local artists, have created a Komodo dragon statue made from 500 ‘brong’ exhausts, or racing motorcycle silencers. The statue of the ancient reptile, crafted from hundreds of ear-splitting metal pipes, stands three metres tall and stretches six metres in length. The sturdy statue has now become a new visual icon in front of the new West Manggarai Police Headquarters in the Kampung Ujung area, Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara. Its location is highly strategic, directly adjacent to the bustling Kampung Ujung seafood culinary centre, which is crowded with tourists every night. The statue is also close to the Labuan Bajo Marina area. This creative initiative originated directly from the idea of West Manggarai Police Chief AKBP Christian Kadang. The step was taken in response to public and tourist concerns over noise pollution that frequently disturbed the comfort of the premium tourist area. Christian emphasised that the giant statue is not merely an aesthetic display. It is a monument of remembrance as well as a symbol of humane law enforcement amidst Labuan Bajo’s development as a Super Priority Tourism Destination. ‘We want to show that law enforcement is not solely about rigid actions or frightening punishments,’ Christian said on Wednesday evening. ‘Through this Komodo dragon statue made from brong exhausts, we aim to send a strong yet humane educational message. Every curve of this statue’s body carries a message for riders: let us preserve the silence and comfort of Labuan Bajo for our collective safety and the peace of tourists,’ Christian added. The hundreds of exhausts, Christian explained, were confiscated by the Traffic Unit of the West Manggarai Police through various intensive enforcement operations. Instead of destroying them in the usual manner, which would end up as useless waste, the police chose a recycling path with high artistic value. With its massive dimensions, the precise curves of the scales made from pieces of the exhausts successfully display an authentic impression of the Komodo dragon’s rough and sturdy skin. The process of making the statue involved the skilled hands of local craftsmen and welders in Labuan Bajo. Executed by Zaeb and Benyamin, this collaboration was deliberately forged to empower the local community’s creative economic potential. Zaeb, 48, one of the local welders involved in assembling the statue, recounted the challenges during the work process. Uniting hundreds of twisting exhaust pipes to form a proportional Komodo dragon anatomy was very challenging, he said. ‘But we are proud. This is not just welding scrap metal, we are making new history in our own city,’ Zaeb expressed. Since its official installation, the area in front of the West Manggarai Police Headquarters is no longer quiet. Domestic and international tourists are often seen stopping briefly to capture images with the unique statue as a backdrop before heading to the Kampung Ujung culinary centre. Sarah, a tourist from Australia, admitted she was amazed by the environmentally friendly concept and the moral message behind the artwork. ‘This is absolutely brilliant. The police have turned it into an extraordinary cultural icon that is both attractive and educational,’ she said.