The five-day special operation is held amid an increasing number of foreigners showing bad behavior while in Bali. More than 475 police personnel will be closely monitoring foreigners across Bali.    

Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Putu Jayan Danu Putra said the special operation, called the Agung Operation, was jointly held with other stakeholders, including the immigration office, the tourism agency, the tax office, the transportation agency, the labor agency, public order police, the tourism association and traditional village security, among others.

“Bali police and all stakeholders will be working in three field-work units that have their respective targets,” Jayan Danu said.

The first unit targets violations of traffic laws, including checking the vehicles’ paperwork, the use of a helmet and driving ethics. The second unit targets foreigners who work illegally, companies illegally run by foreigners, checking staying permits and other administrative violations. The third unit targets drugs, weapon possession and other crimes.

Foreigners with bad behavior have become a spotlight in Bali lately, such as foreigners working illegally, overstaying their visa and causing social disturbances.

“All those things have disturbed the society in Bali. Therefore, we must take firm action through this joint operation to put tourist behavior in order,” Jayan Danu said.

Jayan Danu added that the special operation was not only targeting foreigners who violated the law or committed a crime in Bali. “This operation is also to maintain public order ahead of Nyepi [Hindu holiday] and Ramadhan [Islamic fasting month],” he said, adding that routine operation targeting general crime by Indonesians is also ongoing during the special operation.

The police chief said his team has a list of foreigners targeted. However, he refused to explain how many foreigners are on the list.

The special operation will also conduct inspections on the road, following the high number of tourists violating traffic laws. Jayan Danu said in the past two weeks police have found at least 406 foreigners violating traffic laws, most of whom had Russian nationality.

Bali Tourism Agency Head Tjok Bagus Pemayun supports the police operation and will also intensify education to foreigners.

“We will campaign what they should do and what they should not do while in Bali,” he said, saying that the tourism industry would be involved in the campaign.

Perry Markus from the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) appreciated the operation, hoping that it would create a more comfortable situation for tourists.

“Violations of traffic law can be harmful to other people, not only for those who violate the law,” he said.

So far this year, at least 45 foreigners have been deported from Bali for a number of reasons, including overstaying their visa, working illegally and having completed their prison term.

 

The Law and Human Right Ministry Bali Office head, Anggiat Napitupulu, told The Jakarta Post that most of the foreigners deported from Bali were Russians. “Those people who were deported mostly entered Bali with a visa-on-arrival,” he said. (dre)