Police Arrest Two Suspects in Extortion of Car with D Licence Plate in Tanah Abang, Jakarta

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Police have secured two men with the initials MN and N, residents of Tanah Abang, who are suspected of carrying out an extortion attempt against a driver of a car with a D plate from Bandung, Arip Hidayat.

The incident took place on Jalan Kebon Kacang 12, Kebon Kacang Ward, Tanah Abang Subdistrict, Central Jakarta, on Friday (27/3/2026) at 17:00 WIB.

“On Saturday, 28 March 2026 around 14:00 WIB, the operational team from Tanah Abang Metro Police Sector has secured the suspected extortion perpetrators that went viral on social media,” said the Head of Criminal Investigation at East Metro Jakarta Police Resort, AKBP Dhimas Prasetyo, in his statement on Saturday.

Dhimas said that the police are currently conducting further investigations, including contacting the victim to file an official report.

According to Dhimas, the incident began when the victim pulled over to the side of the road because he did not know the direction and intended to open a maps app or Google Maps.

“When the victim was passing through Jalan Kebon Kacang 12 and pulled over to look at the maps, suddenly the suspected perpetrators arrived in three on a motorcycle and asked the victim for cigarette money,” Dhimas said.

Because the victim refused, the perpetrators then demanded escort money amounting to Rp 300,000.

“However, the victim only gave Rp 100,000,” he said.

Feeling unsatisfied, the perpetrators then forcibly took the victim’s e-money card which was on the car’s dashboard.

For information, this incident has attracted public attention after a video of the event went viral on social media.

“The story is after returning from the village in Pandeglang on the way to Bandung, then in Jakarta pulled over to the Tanah Abang area. When opening maps on the side of the road, suddenly three people came, out of nowhere asking for money, saying because it’s an out-of-Jakarta plate so must pay passage money,” wrote the account.

He also mentioned that the perpetrators took his e-money card.

“Then asked for a certain amount of money, said it would be returned later. In the end, the money was taken, the e-money not returned,” he wrote.