Indonesia arrests dozens for looting in quake-tsunami zone

Survivors walk on a damaged street outside Palu in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi on October 2, 2018, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the area on September 28. The Indonesian government on October 2 said the death toll from a devastating quake-tsunami on the island of Sulawesi had risen to 1,234 people, up from the previous count of 844. / AFP PHOTO / JEWEL SAMAD

JAKARTA – Indonesian police on Tuesday said they have arrested dozens of people for looting on the earthquake and tsunami-struck island of Sulawesi, where survivors have raided shops for water, food, and other goods.

“On the first and second day clearly no shops were open. People were hungry. There were people in dire need. That’s not a problem,” said deputy national police chief Ari Dono Sukmanto.

“But after day two, the food supply started to come in, it only needed to be distributed,” the police official added.

However, Sukmanto said people grabbing food would still be tolerated.

Police in Palu have largely stood by, unable or unwilling to stop the looting.

AFP reporters on the ground have witnessed locals also looting clothes shops.

“If they take laptops, if they take money etc., we are going to act,” Sukmanto said. “We have detained 35 people.”

“There are ATMs. They are open,” he added. “If people steal, we catch and investigate.” /kga