Thugs apprehended in crime-prone areas
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
For years the Cocacola intersection, between Central and East Jakarta has been a feared area due to the presence of a gang known as Kapak Merah (red axe) that robbed motorists, even in broad daylight, smashing car windows with an axe.
"Every day I pass the Cocacola intersection on my way to the office and each time I am worried that the thugs will harass me, or even rob me," said Husin, 37, a resident of Cempaka Putih, East Jakarta.
He felt relieved knowing that the police had arrested several people who used to be seen around the intersection over the weekend in the city's intensive crackdown on thuggery and lawlessness.
"I hope no more thugs are seen or crimes take place at the intersection after the arrests," he told The Jakarta Post.
In East Jakarta alone, the police had detained 12 thugs from the Cocacola intersection, 13 in Cawang, 54 in Pulogadung, and 32 thugs in several other places known as crime-prone areas.
They confiscated dozens of sharp weapons, several guns, drugs, hundreds of pirated CDs, and gambling machines.
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said over the weekend that some of them were caught extorting pedestrians and passengers, others were nabbed for carrying weapons, gambling and drinking.
"We have processed them. Some were handed over to the Ministry of Social Affairs for rehabilitation while others, who were caught committing crimes, were detained in the respective police subprecincts and precincts," Tjiptono told the Post.
Tjiptono said that police had arrested dozens of other thugs in many other areas.
"The number of thugs arrested could be much higher in the days to come as we have not received a report from West Jakarta, North Jakarta, Central Jakarta, South Jakarta, Tangerang and Bekasi precincts yet," he said.
The police operation to eradicate thugs in the capital, or Sarutama, will last for one month.
The operation was launched after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered National Police chief Gen. Sutanto and provincial administrations across the country to crack down thugs earlier this month as the President received many text messages complaining about the presence of thugs.
Over a thousand thugs across the capital have been arrested in the last 12 days.
Tjiptono said that he believed that the massive arrests would reduce the number of thugs, and would at the very least deter others.
"We will evaluate the result of the operation late next month based on input from the public. We hope there will be no more complaints after that. But if we still receive many complaints, we will continue the operation," he said.
Tjiptono encouraged people who had any problems with thugs to send a text message to the cellular phone toll-free number 1717.