SMAN 5 Bandung Student Dies in Alleged Gang Attack; Bandung Mayor to Crack Down on Motorcycle Gangs

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan has announced coordination with police and Kodim 0618 Bandung to take firm action against motorcycle gangs operating in Bandung. The announcement follows the death of a student from SMAN 5 Bandung, believed to have been beaten by multiple assailants on Jalan Cihampelas in the city.

“I have seen it myself; the victim is one of our own children. Therefore, there will be no tolerance for motorcycle gangs,” Farhan stated on Monday, 16 March 2026.

He stressed that residents of Bandung are prohibited from gathering in groups with motorcycles along roadsides, and are forbidden from organising motorcycle convoys or parades.

Farhan disclosed that he has coordinated with Kodim and police to conduct active patrols to restrict motorcycle gangs’ movements. He announced plans for measured preventive and repressive action against such groups.

The mayor acknowledged that whilst patrols have previously been conducted at the district level, they have been relatively lax. “We will tighten things up. We will establish a mobile patrol team comprising city government, Kodim, police, and forkopimda [regional leadership coordination forum],” he said.

Farhan confirmed that motorcycle gangs still operate in Bandung. He noted that he has personally encountered groups of motorcyclists on Jalan Sumbawa and Jalan Belitung. The gangs are typically characterised by small groups wearing black clothing, riding motorcycles with loud exhausts, and carrying foreign flags. “We will conduct preventive measures against these characteristics,” he added.