Polda Jawa Tengah (Jateng) has been cracking down on thuggery in the region with the continuous efforts of the Joint Task Force Operation Safe Candi 2025. During an operation in Semarang on Thursday, 22nd May 2025, Polda Jateng uncovered 24 cases of thuggery and street crimes, leading to the arrest of 40 individuals. “Yesterday, our officers conducted sweeps in various areas of Semarang and stumbled upon acts of thuggery carried out by rogue parking attendants,” said Head of Public Relations of Polda Jateng, Commissioner Pol Artanto, on Friday, 23rd May 2025.
Operation Safe Candi 2025’s Joint Task Force patrolled and combed through the Anjasmoro Street area all the way to the Marina Beach tourist spot during the operation last Thursday. During their patrol, indications of thuggery practices such as illegal parking management by certain individuals along Anjasmoro Street and around Marina Beach were discovered. The parking lots were found to be illegally controlled by locals without any official payments to the Semarang City Government. Similar practices were also found in the Karang Ayu Market area. The Law Enforcement Task Force of Operation Safe Candi 2025 promptly initiated further investigations and coordinated with relevant agencies for follow-up actions.
In the previous nine days of Operation Safe Candi 2025, which began on 12th May 2025, Polda Jateng had apprehended 290 individuals involved in thuggery. Among the suspects were members of social organizations. “For the ongoing thuggery operation that we are conducting, as of yesterday, Polda Central Java has recorded a total of 290 suspects. This comprises 268 males and 22 females,” stated Head of Public Relations of Polda Jateng, Commissioner Pol Artanto, during an interview at Polda Jateng on Thursday, 22nd May 2025. Artanto added that the 290 thuggery suspects were implicated in 186 criminal cases, including fraud, embezzlement, extortion, assault, public violence, and aggravated theft.
