Bajaj Driver Extorted by Thugs in Tanah Abang, Shouted at as a Thief if He Doesn't Pay

JAKARTA — A bajaj driver has claimed to be a victim of extortion by thugs in the Tanah Abang area, Central Jakarta. He even has to pay money every day to avoid intimidation and being shouted at as a thief. The admission emerged in a video that went viral on social media on Saturday (11/4/2026). In the video, the bajaj driver stated that he has to spend a total of Rp 100,000 per day. “Shouted at as a thief, look the glass is smashed (bajaj window), punched,” said the bajaj driver explaining when asked by the recorder, who was his passenger. “It’s not that I’m not brave to fight back, but I’m also trying to make a living there,” the bajaj driver added. In the recording, two men can be seen alternately asking the driver for money. In response to the viral video, Kanit Reskrim Polsek Tanah Abang AKP Ikhsan Rangga said his unit is currently conducting an investigation. “It is being further investigated and probed,” Ikhsan said when confirmed by Kompas.com on Saturday. The virality of this case adds to the list of suspected thuggery actions in the Tanah Abang area. Previously, a video of a bakso vendor whose bowl was smashed by thugs also went viral.