JAKARTA, LITERASIHUKUM.COM — Allegations of extortion against bajaj drivers in the Tanah Abang area, Central Jakarta, went viral on social media after a video showed a man asking a driver for money while he was carrying passengers. In the recording, the passenger was heard asking whether the money given was a deposit or extortion, and the driver replied that he was indeed being extorted.

Chief of Tanah Abang Police AKBP Dhimas Prasetyo said that the police have taken action and are currently hunting down the perpetrator. He said that an investigation is being carried out to identify the person suspected of committing the extortion, while coordinating with the sub-district, the Public Order Agency, and the Transportation Agency to strengthen patrols in areas prone to illegal levies.

In the circulating video, the illegal levy practice is said to target Bajaj drivers who are stationed in the Tanah Abang area. One of the drivers even admitted to having to pay up to IDR 100,000 per day. If they refuse, they are allegedly threatened with being shouted at as thieves, experiencing violence, and even having their vehicles damaged. The circulating recording also shows a Bajaj with broken glass and a damaged door, allegedly due to beatings.

The police and the Regional Government are asked to act together.

The police emphasized that prevention cannot rely solely on law enforcement. The Chief of Tanah Abang Police requested that residents, neighborhood administrators, and local government elements participate in guarding their respective areas so that thuggery practices can be prevented before they recur. This approach demonstrates that handling the case is not only directed at arresting the perpetrators, but also at monitoring areas that have been prone to illegal levies.

Governor of Jakarta Pramono Anung also responded to the viral video. He stated that he had asked the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and related agencies to take firm action, and emphasized that there should be no compromise on thuggery in Jakarta. This attitude shows that the case of extortion against Bajaj drivers in Tanah Abang has developed from just a viral video to a public order issue that has also received the attention of the regional government.

The perpetrator is said to have been arrested.

In the latest development on April 13, 2026, the police are said to have arrested a man with the initials DP (27) who is suspected of extorting a bajaj driver in the area of Block A, Tanah Abang Market. The arrest was made after the police followed up on a viral video, went to the location, then identified and secured the perpetrator at his rented house. With this development, the case, which was previously still in the stage of searching for the perpetrator, has now shifted to a further investigation process by the police.

This case once again highlights the long-standing problem in densely populated trading areas such as Tanah Abang: informal sector workers being targeted by illegal levies that exploit their dependence on the location and passenger flow. Therefore, the public is now waiting to see whether the arrest of the perpetrators is truly followed by consistent action against similar practices, and not just a momentary response to a viral video.