Police arrest man for extorting traders with airsoft gun in Bandung

A man identified as GV, 27, who claimed to be a journalist, was arrested by police in Baleendah, Bandung, for allegedly extorting traders using an airsoft gun. The incident occurred on Wednesday night at a market in Baleendah, West Java.

According to Baleendah Police Chief AKP Hendri Noki Rukmansyah, the suspect arrived in a drunken state and demanded alcoholic beverages from a stall owner. When the owner refused, stating they did not sell alcohol, the suspect threatened to make the business go viral on social media while brandishing an airsoft gun tucked into his waist.

Police investigations revealed that the suspect's urine tested positive for amphetamine and benzodiazepine. Authorities also noted that the individual had allegedly engaged in similar extortion attempts in the Baleendah area by posing as a member of the press. The suspect faces charges under Article 448 of Law Number 1 of 2023 regarding the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.