Jakarta West Karaoke Raid Linked to Drugs, Analyst: Anies and Ahok Eras Would Have Resolved It Immediately
Public policy expert from Trisakti University, Trubus Rahadiansyah, assesses that the handling of nightlife venues implicated in drug cases during the previous eras of DKI Jakarta Governors Anies Baswedan and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama was more decisive and swiftly resolved.
This statement comes in the wake of the raid on Karaoke B-Fashion in the Grogol Petamburan area, West Jakarta, on Friday (8/5/2026), suspected to be a site for drug transactions.
“If it were during Pak Anies Baswedan’s time, it would be shut down and the licence revoked. Pak Ahok was even tougher; shut down, revoked, done and dusted,” Trubus said when contacted by Kompas.com by telephone on Wednesday (13/5/2026).
One example is Sense Karaoke in Mangga Dua, raided by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), where dozens of people were secured along with narcotic evidence.
The closure was carried out after the legal basis of Governor Regulation Number 18 of 2018 on Tourism Business Operations was applied, and the business licence was revoked once the evidence was deemed complete.
Meanwhile, during Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok’s tenure, similar enforcements were conducted, including the closure of Diskotek Stadium following a suspected overdose case that killed a police officer.
Ahok at the time emphasised that entertainment venues proven problematic would not be tolerated.
Trubus believes the current DKI Jakarta Provincial Government also needs to take firm action to create a deterrent effect for other nightlife venue operators.
According to him, cases of alleged drug transactions in nightlife venues are not a new issue in Jakarta.
“Because what was found in West Jakarta is actually not new. Such things are still happening in other places,” he said.
Previously, police raided the nightlife venue Karaoke B-Fashion in the Grogol Petamburan area, West Jakarta, related to alleged drug transactions and misuse.
Head of the Tourism Industry Section of the West Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Sub-District Office, Gun Gun Mujiantara, confirmed the raid.