jpnn.com – A prominent member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Commission III, Abdullah, has issued a forceful demand for the National Police to launch a comprehensive investigation into alarming cases where debt collectors have reportedly deceived emergency services—including ambulance personnel and firefighters—into visiting debtors’ homes across various regions.
Abdullah strongly asserted that debt collectors employing such deceptive tactics must face rigorous legal action, including criminal prosecution, given the widespread harm they inflict. He emphasized that these illicit collection practices inherently jeopardize public safety.
“These debt collectors must be prosecuted because they have endangered the lives of many people,” Abdullah declared in a press release issued in Jakarta on Friday (April 24, 2026).
Abdullah’s stern warning comes in direct response to a surge of incidents reported across different regions, where rogue debt collectors are exploiting emergency services to track down debtors. Specifically, cases have emerged in Sleman, Yogyakarta, and Semarang, Central Java, where debt collectors falsely requested ambulance or fire department assistance, providing the addresses of the debtors they intended to confront.
Abdullah underscored the profound risks associated with the fictitious use of ambulance services, noting how it directly obstructs critical medical attention for patients in genuine emergencies. Similarly, diverting firefighters—who are pivotal in responding to fires and saving lives—from their essential duties poses an unacceptable threat.
“Essentially, these debt collectors are gambling with public safety and lives by deceiving ambulance and fire services solely to collect debts. Such egregious cases must not be overlooked or allowed to repeatedly occur,” he insisted.
Consequently, the legislator, who holds purview over legal affairs, has urged the National Police (Polri) to conduct a thorough and exhaustive investigation. This includes not only identifying the perpetrators behind these schemes but also uncovering the entities or individuals who employ them. Beyond ensuring criminal prosecution and imposing severe penalties on these debt collectors, Abdullah highlighted that another critical objective of the investigation is to enable the victimized ambulance and fire departments to pursue claims for compensation.
Shifting focus to regulatory oversight, Abdullah voiced strong criticism regarding the Financial Services Authority (OJK)’s management of third-party debt collection systems, stressing the urgent need for their optimization. He noted that violations in debt collection practices continue to plague the industry, encompassing acts of intimidation, violence, and illegal forced repossessions.
Abdullah lamented that the OJK “appears to be condoning this ongoing situation,” neither effectively halting illicit debt collector activities nor successfully preventing the recurrence of unlawful collection violations.(ant/jpnn)