Police secure KM Tidar call at Larantuka Port in East Flores

Larantuka — Police in East Flores deployed port-security officers to oversee the arrival and departure of state-run passenger ship KM Tidar at Larantuka’s Syahbandar Sea Port on Friday, 3 September 2026, with the operation continuing until all ship-related activity at the pier was completed, according to regional broadcaster RRI, citing East Flores Police public-relations officials.

The deployment was ordered by East Flores Police Chief AKBP Gede Putra Yase and carried out by the port-area police unit known locally as KP3, which is responsible for security at the sea port. Officers were assigned to monitor movements at the dock and help keep passenger flows and other activity around the pier orderly while the vessel was alongside during the late afternoon.

According to RRI’s report, police personnel began securing KM Tidar’s activity at about 16:15 WITA at Syahbandar Larantuka Sea Port. The account did not specify how many officers were on duty and did not report any particular security incident during the operation.

Scope and purpose of the operation

East Flores Police public-relations officer AKP Eliezer A. Kalelado said the operation was preventive and service-oriented, aimed at providing a sense of safety for passengers and other users of sea transport and ensuring that activity at the port remained under control. Officers monitored conditions around the pier during both the ship’s arrival and departure, while checking that the sequence of maritime-transport activity complied with applicable regulations and security procedures.

Police described the situation at Syahbandar Larantuka Sea Port as safe, orderly and smooth throughout the security operation. The RRI report stated that officers remained in place until KM Tidar’s activities at the port were completed and that ship movements and passenger traffic did not cause disturbances during the deployment.

RRI reported that the security assignment formed part of routine police services for residents and travellers using sea transport from Larantuka, with officers providing direct supervision of passenger movements to maintain safety and smooth operations.

Service information

• Vessel: Pelni passenger ship KM Tidar, operated on a multi-port route that includes Maumere, Larantuka, Lewoleba and Kupang.
• Port: Syahbandar Larantuka Sea Port, East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.
• Route segment: KM Tidar was reported by RRI as serving the Lewoleba–Kupang route on a round-trip basis, with Larantuka among the ports called on this pattern. Separate passenger-information outlets list KM Tidar’s wider September 2026 itinerary as running Kijang–Jakarta–Surabaya–Makassar–Baubau–Maumere–Larantuka–Lewoleba–Kupang and back along similar ports.
• Security period: Police presence at Syahbandar Larantuka during KM Tidar’s call on 3 September 2026 began at approximately 16:15 WITA and continued until ship activity at the port ended.
• Reported operational result: East Flores Police reported that the port remained safe, orderly and that activities proceeded smoothly for passengers and other port users during the operation.

Separate schedule information for KM Tidar’s voyages in early September 2026 indicates that the ship’s Voyage 17.2026 called at Larantuka and Lewoleba on 3 September before continuing to Kupang, confirming that the vessel was operating through East Flores and surrounding waters at that time. These independent schedules align with RRI’s description of KM Tidar’s Lewoleba–Kupang round-trip service including a stop at Larantuka.

Local context

Larantuka is the capital of East Flores Regency and hosts Syahbandar Larantuka Sea Port, a regional hub for passenger and cargo movements between Flores, Adonara, Lembata and Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara. In this operation, East Flores Police presented the port as a public-service area where passenger flows and activity near the pier warranted direct monitoring while KM Tidar was alongside.

RRI published its report on 4 September 2026, quoting East Flores Police officials as saying that security at the port during KM Tidar’s call remained stable and that police saw continued need for personnel presence to safeguard sea-transport users at Larantuka.

Other transport and schedule outlets for KM Tidar in September 2026 focus on sailing times and ticket prices but do not discuss police deployments, indicating that the East Flores operation was primarily a local security and public-service measure rather than a change to the ship’s commercial schedule.

Sources

• RRI Ende – "Polisi Kawal Aktivitas KM Tidar di Pelabuhan Larantuka Tetap Aman"
• Papua Tribunnews – "Koreksi Jadwal Kapal Pelni KM Tidar Voyage 17.2026"
• Nurcholis.com – "Jadwal Kapal Pelni KM Tidar September 2026"