30 Africans arrested in two months
30 Africans arrested in two months
JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta police have arrested at
least 30 Africans for various crimes, mostly for overstaying
their visas and involvement in counterfeiting U.S. banknotes, in
the last two months.
The head of the precinct's intelligence unit, Maj. Yusril
Hakim, said on Tuesday that the Central Jakarta police had
already completed the dossiers of all the foreign suspects.
"Some of them have been sent to the directorate general of
immigration for further processing," Yusril said.
Central Jakarta, he said, was prone to crimes committed
allegedly by foreigners.
"We have located some districts and areas where these crooks
often indulge in their schemes, both on Jakartans and fellow
foreigners."
Yusril, however, declined to give further details.
But he said he was unsatisfied with some of his subordinates'
"achievements" because some of the crooks they busted were seen
walking freely on the streets just few days after the police
handed them over to the prosecutor's office.
Yusril was referring to five Africans arrested last year for
allegedly being involved in counterfeiting money.
After the questioning, the five were then sent to the city
prosecutor's office to be further questioned.
"One or two of the five people were then seen walking in a
certain area not long after that. It's sad but that's how our
legal procedure works," Yusril said without elaboration.
On Sunday and Monday, Central Jakarta intelligence police
arrested five Liberians for exceeding their staying limit.
They were identified as Charles S. Blamo, Fabrice B. Taulbert,
Stanley Jarson, Steve Gaye and Calvin Wide.
Except for Wide, the other four were apprehended in a cheap
hotel, the Pardede, in Senen along with "black" papers, which
were believed to be used as a means to counterfeit the U.S.
currency notes.
Wide was arrested in the Laotze hotel in Kota.
"They should have stayed not more than 60 days but in our
routine operation, we raided some hotels and found they had
stayed more than 60 days," he said.
The five are now being detained at Central Jakarta police
station for questioning. (emf)