Police begin crackdown on firecrackers

JAKARTA (JP): Acting on the public fear of the growing use of fireworks in the capital, the city police have arrested five traders and seized thousands of bundles of various types of fireworks and crackers from several markets here in a single-day operation on Tuesday.

According to city police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang, the raids -- carried out by at least 10 plainclothes detectives -- would be continued and mainly aimed at big-scale traders, distributors and producers.

The confiscated firecrackers on Tuesday were valued in millions of rupiah.

Among the five men arrested was a 63-year-old firecracker producer, apprehended in his factory-house in Cimanggis in Bogor.

The suspect, Nase, was seized along with boxes of fireworks and raw material.

"From Nase we seized -- among other things -- 200 big firecrackers, 300 smaller pieces, five coils of fireworks each two meters in height, and at least 300 other types of crackers," Aritonang said.

According to Aritonang, the location of many of the firecracker makers outside Jakarta has hampered the work of the city police, who of course have no rights to arrest anybody in areas outside their jurisdiction.

"What we can do now is to prevent the fireworks from entering the city," he said.

The four suspected traders were apprehended along with their merchandise at several shopping centers and traditional markets in the capital, such as the Kota and Lontar markets in North Jakarta; Ciputat market in South Jakarta; traditional markets in Pulo Gadung district in East Jakarta; in Bekasi and at the BSD shopping center in Serpong, Tangerang.

Aritonang insisted that none of the traders would be detained or dragged to court.

"We'll only question them and try to collect more information from them in an attempt to nail the distributors and producers," the officer said.

The police action has been expected by the public since the first day of the Ramadhan fasting month when the city already witnessed the noise of fireworks and crackers.

Few of Jakarta's 10 million population still traditionally welcome or celebrate certain seasons or big days, such as Ramadhan, Idul Fitri and wedding ceremonies by lighting firecrackers and other fireworks.

Although fireworks had often caused big fires and clashes, some Jakartans still enjoy hearing the reports of firecrackers or seeing the fear on the faces of people surprised by the blast.

In the past three days, at least two fights between neighbors in Tomang, West Jakarta and Kalibata, South Jakarta were triggered by the use of fireworks.

On Monday, Governor Sutiyoso warned Jakartans that the city security authorities would take stiff measures against anyone dealing with fireworks.

Chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council for Jakarta Chapter Muchtar Natsir on Tuesday encouraged Jakartans, especially youngsters, to stop playing with fireworks.

Besides throwing away money during this financial hardship, the burning of firecrackers and fireworks only disturbed other people, which was forbidden by any religion, he said.

"Please use your available energy to do something useful as taught by your religion," Muchtar said.

Traders offering a wide range of fireworks could be spotted easily at many markets and shopping centers in the capital.

When asked, the producers as well as the traders as usual come up with a classically pitiful reason.

To reporters, Nase who claimed to have been producing firecrackers for years, argued that he had no other means of earning a living as that was only skill he had with which to make money.

"It's been the business of my family for generations. I myself learned how to make fireworks from my parents," he said.

Last year, Nase sold his homemade firecrackers in Lampung in Sumatra.

In the Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta vendor Mudi said he always stops selling electrical appliances and sells firecrackers in a festive season.

"I make a quick, easy profit of Rp 75,000 a week, by only investing Rp 500,000 in this business. With the electrical goods, I have to put millions of rupiah in and only make Rp 15,000 profit a week," he said.

He said he has no fear of the police campaign to curb his seasonal business.

"What security forces? Do you know that even soldiers and policemen buy firecrackers from us? I am a born trader," Mudi said.

"If they ban the trade, I will sell my fireworks from person to person.

If they succeeded in confiscating all my firecrackers, which I don't think is possible, there are always other ways to earn money in Jakarta," Mudi said. (emf/ylt/bsr)