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| 21 Bags of Shredded Rupiah Found at Illegal Dump in Bekasi, Here’s the Real Story. |
Residents of Bekasi Regency were left stunned after dozens of sacks filled with shredded Indonesian rupiah were discovered at an illegal trash dumping site. The bizarre find took place in Taman Rahayu Village, Setu District, and quickly went viral after authorities confirmed the money originated from Bank Indonesia (BI).
In total, 21 large bags of shredded rupiah banknotes were found dumped in the open area. The discovery immediately raised red flags, prompting police and government agencies to step in, given the sensitive nature of state-issued currency and the risk of potential misuse.
Bekasi Metro Police Chief Kombes Pol Sumarni confirmed that investigators had coordinated directly with Bank Indonesia. According to her, the shredded banknotes were verified as old rupiah bills that are no longer in circulation.
“We’ve checked with Bank Indonesia, and it’s confirmed these are shredded BI banknotes, no longer valid,” Sumarni said during a press briefing in Jakarta.
She also emphasized that the money fragments are authentic rupiah and have now been secured as evidence for further investigation.
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| 21 Bags of Shredded Rupiah Found at Illegal Dump in Bekasi, Here’s the Real Story. |
Backing up the statement, Metro Jaya Police spokesperson Kombes Pol Budi Hermanto said the case is being closely monitored by both Setu Police and Bekasi Metro Police. Officers have secured samples of the shredded money and sent them for forensic testing.
“The samples are being examined to confirm their type and authenticity through forensic analysis,” Budi explained.
Police didn’t stop there. Investigators questioned several witnesses, including the landowner, site managers, and coordinated with the Bekasi Environmental Agency (DLH) to trace how the shredded BI currency ended up at an illegal dumping site in the first place.
Setu Police Chief AKP Usep Aramsyah said securing the 21 bags was a preventive move.
“We secured them to make sure they aren’t misused by irresponsible parties,” he stated.
From the local government side, DLH Bekasi spokesperson Dedi Kurniawan confirmed the findings after an on-site inspection.
“Yes, the shredded material is real rupiah currency,” Dedi said.
DLH is now working with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and law enforcement to investigate the disposal process and prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Meanwhile, the landowner, Santo (65), claimed he had no idea the dumped material was shredded money. He said the waste was used to fill land for garbage sorting activities.
“I needed landfill material. If I had to pay for it myself, I couldn’t afford it. Someone dumped it, so I used it. I honestly didn’t know it was shredded money,” Santo said.
Authorities continue to dig deeper into the case. The discovery of 21 bags of shredded rupiah at an illegal dump in Bekasi has sparked public concern and raised serious questions about how sensitive materials like destroyed state currency are handled. For now, the public is waiting for answers—especially how BI’s shredded money ended up in a location easily accessed by residents.