TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsJoint police, military crackdown on street robbers raises fear of extrajudicial killings
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Budi Hermanto (center), accompanied by director for general crimes Sr. Comr. Iman Imanuddin (second left) and Jakarta Military Command (Kodam Jaya) spokesperson Lt. Col. Noor Ishak (second right), speaks during a press briefing about street crimes and violent robbery cases, at the Jakarta Police headquarters on May 22, 2026. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
T
he decision from the Jakarta Police to intensify crackdown on begal (violent street robbers) by creating a military-backed special team to hunt down suspected offenders has raised concerns of inflicting rights violations and extrajudicial killings.
In a press briefing on Friday, Jakarta Police’s general crimes director Sr. Comr. Iman Imanuddin said that there had been 173 people suspected and arrested for street crimes across Greater Jakarta since early May.
Two suspects were shot in the leg for allegedly carrying firearms and resisting police arrest during a crackdown in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta.
“For some suspects who resisted and attempted to flee, we took a tough and measured action,” Iman said, describing such an action as a last resort.
The spree of arrests came as the Jakarta Police formed on May 15 the so-called Tim Pemburu Begal, a 24-hour patrolling team tasked with hunting down street robbers and is supported by soldiers from the Jakarta Military Command (Kodam Jaya).
Kodam Jaya spokesperson Lt. Col. Noor Iskak said in Friday’s briefing that the military had been deploying its combat battalion to assist the crackdown. He added that the joint patrol was launched by involving personnel from different levels of military commands.
“The presence of authorities among the public is intended to provide a sense of security and to demonstrate the state's presence in protecting its citizens,” Noor said.
