99 foreigners and 10,750 locals netted in ID raid

JAKARTA (JP): The City Population Agency netted 10,750 locals and 99 foreigners for failing to carry valid identification cards (KTP) and travel documents during a month-long operation which began in mid-February, an official said on Friday.

Agency head Sjahrin Lumbantoruan said in a written statement that during the operation, his personnel also revoked KTPs issued by Jakarta authorities to more than 3,200 people who reside in neighboring West Java.

"Of the 10,750 residents netted in the operation, 1,378 of them had to be further processed," Sjahrin said, adding that these people had violated City Bylaw No. 1/1996 on the registration of residents.

The city collected some Rp 9.2 million (US$1,240) in fines from the trial of these people, he said.

The operation was meant to enforce the 1996 bylaw, which stipulates that residents must posses valid identity cards once they reach the age of 17. Those caught without an identity card face a maximum penalty of three months in prison or a Rp 50,000 ($7) fine.

The bylaw also stipulates that migrants must apply for a temporary ID card (KIPEM) for administrative purposes.

The other aim of the operation, to catch residents who possess Jakarta KTPs but reside outside of the capital, resulted in the revocation of 3,197 Jakarta ID cards held by residents living in Bekasi, 93 IDs held by residents living in Bogor and a number of Jakarta ID cards held by people residing in Tangerang, Sjahrin said.

"In cooperation with other agencies in the so-called Foreigner Supervision Coordination Team, the agency also netted 99 foreigners who didn't have valid documents," Djasrin added.

The netted foreigners included 14 Guineans, nine Malians, nine Nigerians, 10 Koreans, five Filipinos, five Sri Lankans, four Americans and four British.

The others were from Cameroon, Gambia, India, Malawi, Taiwan, Angola, Australia, China, Congo, Germany, Maliana, Senegal, Zaire, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Kenya, the Netherlands, Somali and Switzerland.

"We quarantined 11 foreigners because they couldn't show any valid documents and had violated immigration regulations," Djasrin said. (nvn)