Civil police in Kudus regency have detained a beggar identified as J (40) suspected of harassing residents in the Menara Kudus area last Sunday. The beggar has drawn attention for frequently soliciting forcibly from visitors.
Yan Suryo Samudro, head of public order and community safety at Kudus Regency Civil Police, said residents have complained about J's behaviour. According to Samudro, the beggar often becomes angry when not given money, pulls at visitors' clothing, and even follows visitors who board motorcycles to pull their clothes.
Initially, J claimed to civil police that his daily earnings were only Rp200,000. However, after an inspection, authorities found that J could earn more than Rp500,000 in a day. "Among those we detained, there was a woman we were focusing on who was soliciting by force. She claimed Rp200,000, but when we checked it turned out to be Rp540,000," Samudro said.
This income far exceeds Kudus's minimum wage, which stands at Rp2.8 million. In a video that circulated, J acknowledged that his earnings could reach about Rp500,000 per day, even when visitor numbers were low. Civil police have counselled the detained beggar and asked them to sign a letter committing not to repeat violations of local regulations.
Civil police are committed to keeping Menara Kudus free of beggars. Samudro explained that enforcement operations will be carried out regularly going forward.
