Bali Police shut the clubs down on Tuesday. Literally.
Hundreds of armed police personnel reportedly raided two major Kuta nightlife spots on Tuesday evening: Sky Garden and Paddy’s Pub.
The raid at the two clubs—where guests are predominantly foreign tourists—was especially targeting drug abuse and thuggery, said police ops Superintendent Nyoman Wija.
While no one was caught with drugs during the raid, police arrested security guards who were not able to present proper certification for their position. A common practice in Bali is contracting security from mass organizations (aka gangs).
“We caught eight Sky Garden security guards who did not have the necessary certificate or qualifications to work as security officers,” Wija told Tribun Bali.
Businesses in Bali are advised to only hire security who have undergone training from a Security Services Business Enterprise (BUJP), a private security company in Indonesia.
“We will continue to conduct raids and provide warning letters to clubs that employ thugs as security officers. Club management must follow the rules already in effect,” Wija said.
In addition to netting the eight security guards, officers also secured five people who were not carrying IDs. These five were only given a reprimand and were instructed to start carrying ID from then on.
Tuesday’s raid is part of a larger police operation: Pekat Agung Operation 2017. The name comes from ‘sickness of society’—targeting various nightlife-related crimes like prostitution, illegal alcohol, and drugs. The raid is running until June 12, 2017.
Yes, that’s the same operation responsible for stopping some ‘happy ending’ services.
