The anxiety of Tarakan residents regarding the rumored muggings in the Gunung Selatan area has finally subsided. This comes after AR (19), a college student who previously claimed to be a victim of a mugging on Wednesday (July 22, 2026), publicly admitted that the story was a lie or a hoax and apologized to the public.
Through a video recording, AR expressed deep regret and apologized to the entire community of Tarakan, the police force, and community organizations (ormas) affected by the uproar caused by the information. He emphasized that he had no specific motive behind spreading the fake news that went viral.
Following up on this admission, the Tarakan Resort Police (Polres) decided to halt the investigation of this case. The Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Tarakan Police, AKP Reginald Yuniawan Sujono, explained that the report would be resolved through an Order to Dismiss Investigation (SP3) since it was proven that no criminal offense had occurred.
Although the investigation has been stopped and AR is free from criminal legal consequences, the police are still taking preventive measures. Considering AR's young age, the Tarakan Police will provide special counseling and coordinate with his parents to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
On the other hand, the Chairman of Laskar Borneo Bersatu (LBB) Tarakan, Ricky Febriansyah, urged the public to remain vigilant when driving, especially on poorly lit roads, even though the mugging rumor has been proven to be a hoax. He also expressed hope for the addition of street lighting in crime-prone areas and reminded residents to immediately use the Call Center 110 emergency service if they face danger.
