Coffee plantation looted in Salatiga

SALATIGA, Central Java: Approximately 150 people looted a coffee plantation owned by the state-run PT Perkebunan Nusantara IX in Bawen village on Wednesday, the management said.

The people, including women and children, brought sacks and sickles.

"As yet, we cannot estimate the losses," said the head of the Bawen plantation, Manggiono. "It must be in the realm of tens of millions of rupiah," he said.

The coffee was export quality Robusta, he said. Harvests are always under tight security, but somehow the looters, who he identified as locals, managed to get past the security.

Salatiga Police chief Lt. Col. Sitanggang regretted the looting and said the state-owned plantation was for the interest of the people. "We will continue to deploy police here during harvests," he said. (har)