Six sluice gate thieves in the Tambak Segoro area, Sedati District, Sidoarjo, East Java, were badly battered after being beaten by residents. The incident occurred on Friday evening (December 19, 2025).
Anik Machmuda, Head of Tambak Segoro Village, Sedati District, Sidoarjo Regency, said that residents had been aware of the thefts for a long time. However, residents were afraid because the perpetrators were suspected of carrying explosive devices.
"According to information from residents, the perpetrators were carrying explosive devices or bombs. Residents were afraid to catch them themselves, so it took time," he explained.
The process of arresting the sluice gate thieves had been carried out two days prior. His team, along with the Military District Command (Koramil), the Sector Police (Polsek), and residents, had attempted to apprehend the perpetrators, but failed due to limited knowledge.
"Actually, two days prior, we had been scouting, Sir, with the Koramil and the Polsek, for theft of sluice gates in our area. However, due to limited knowledge and equipment available, we were unsuccessful that day," he explained.
Only on Friday evening (December 19, 2025) were the perpetrators apprehended. This was after his team received a tip from the public.
"I also thank the public for catching these thieves. It's very disturbing. So, not only in the Segoro Tambak area, but also in Porong, Jabon, and our neighboring villages, everything has been destroyed by these perpetrators," Anik explained.
According to him, the theft has been quite detrimental to the community, as sluice gates are essential for aquaculture activities on the Sidoarjo coast.
"These sluice gates are actually very important for our aquaculture activities. If they were stolen, the water circulation would automatically be disrupted, or even worse. That's why the residents are really complaining," he explained.
Anik said that the identification results indicated that the thieves entered the scene by sea. They arrived by boat.
"The perpetrators came from the sea, sir. So, our coastline is several kilometers away. So, it's certainly possible for these perpetrators to access the scene," she concluded.
