Police release pregnant `gambler'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Police have released a pregnant woman who was
\narrested along with over 200 people during a recent raid on
\ngambling dens in Pluit, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto cited police
\ncompassion as the reason for the release.<\/p>\n
With the exception of the woman, all of the other suspects
\nremain in police custody, Hindarto said yesterday.<\/p>\n
He, however, gave no further explanation.<\/p>\n
A total of 238 people were caught in the early morning on
\nSaturday at the two-story Lucky Plaza building on Jl. Pluit Indah
\nJaya by a 40-member Operation Cleansing team from the Jakarta
\nChapter for the Agency of the Support for National Stability
\n(Bakorstanasda Jaya).<\/p>\n
Of the total, five are Malaysians, one a Hong Kong national
\nand another Taiwanese. The remaining 231 suspects are
\nIndonesians, mostly of Chinese descent. Included among them are
\ntwo newspaper reporters and two lawyers.<\/p>\n
During the late night raid, the team also seized Rp 44.9
\nmillion (US$20,880) in cash and gambling equipment.<\/p>\n
Following non-stop questioning, the team, led by Lt. Col. RR
\nSimbolon from Jakarta Military Headquarters, handed over the
\nsuspects to City Police Headquarters for further investigation.<\/p>\n
The police, however, claimed that the number of suspects
\nbrought to the headquarters was only 235 people.<\/p>\n
Police officers also refused to comment much about the
\nsuspected gamblers, in particular about the seven foreigners.<\/p>\n
"I do not dare to comment further on the case because it
\ninvolves two institutions (police and military offices)," City
\nPolice spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar told reporters
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
As of their fifth day at police custody yesterday, many
\ncolleagues and relatives, including children, of the suspects
\nwere still arriving at headquarters to visit the suspected
\ngamblers.<\/p>\n
According to the existing law, a gambler might face a maximum
\nimprisonment of four years or a maximum fine of Rp 10 million
\n(US$4,650), if convicted.<\/p>\n
"But the police are required to comprehensively investigate
\nalleged suspects before clarifying that they are really suspects
\nin the dossiers," Latief said.<\/p>\n
"It is not a must that all people arrested in such a raid
\nshould become suspects. Therefore, we have to question them,
\nabout many things including whether they have an alibi and some
\nthings like that," he explained. (bsr)<\/p>",
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