Night spots in Pondok Aren closed

TANGERANG (JP): Fourteen night spots in Pondok Aren believed to be used for sex transactions were sealed on Thursday night by a joint military, police and public order office team.

The establishments, which include the Zodiac discotheque and several dimly lit food stalls, had been the object of repeated complaints from local residents.

"Their existence really disturbed our peaceful community," said one villager.

Pondok Aren is located near the Bintaro Jaya residential area.

The night spots were marked with a notice glued to their front doors that read "Closed by the authorities".

A clash almost broke out several days before the closings when a group of 50 men, believed to be hired by the establishments and armed with torches, searched the village for a person they believed to have incited the community against the night spots.

Police officers, however, reportedly arrived on the scene in time to defuse the situation.

Marup, a local resident, said a villager had repeatedly complained to officials about the night spots, but that no action was taken.

Besides objecting to the illegal sex transactions, the villagers also complained that the night spots were too close to a local mosque.

Police said on Friday that the establishments' owners had been detained for questioning at the local police office.

"Besides that, we had to secure the owners for their own safety because the people were already upset," said a police officer.

According to Tangerang regency spokeswoman Ena Karlina, the closure of the 14 night spots was carried out "to avoid any possibility of riots". (24/bsr)