Aliens sought in scam over travelers checks

Aliens sought in scam over travelers checks

JAKARTA (JP): Police are hunting foreigners believed to be
using counterfeit travelers checks at star-rated hotels here,
following the arrest of one of the alleged gang members, who
attempted to cash checks with a bogus Pakistani passport, last
week.

Head of the Economic Crimes Division of the City Police Crime
Investigation Directorate, Lt. Col. Aryanto Sutadi, told The
Jakarta Post yesterday that the syndicate has raked in thousands
of dollars from the clearance of their counterfeit travelers
checks during their short stay at the local hotels.

"I strongly believe that some of the syndicate members are
still hanging around in the city," Aryanto said.

The Pakistani was arrested at the Century Park Hotel on Jl.
Pintu Gelora I near the Senayan stadium in South Jakarta on Nov.
9.

At the time, the suspect, in his 30s, who identified himself
as Mohamad Kassim was trying to cash bogus travelers checks worth
US$400 at the hotel along with two other people.

"Due to significant problems found with their travelers
checks, the three only got $150 from the hotel personnel, who
immediately reported his findings to us," Aryanto said.

When police came to the scene, two of the suspects were able
to get away and are still at large.

Based on preliminary investigations, the police believe that
Kassim and other members of his syndicates have been operating in
many hotels in town, such as at the Sari Pacific and the
Mandarin.

"We also received a report from one of the hotel managements
that they had lost $9,000 on the clearance of a travelers checks
believed to have been cashed by someone identified as Mahmud
Khan," Aryanto said.

The police officer said that the counterfeit travelers checks
used by Kassim and his syndicate bear the name of a noted bank in
Hong Kong.

"We're still checking into the identity of this suspect
because we've found significant discrepancies his confession," he
said.

During police questioning, Kassim admitted that the
counterfeit passport was not his original passport.

"He said that his original passport is carried by his other
two friends who are still at large," Aryanto said.

Kassim is currently detained at the City Police headquarters.

Aryanto gave no explanation on whether Kassim's alleged
accomplices are also from Pakistan.

Credit cards

He also told the Post that the city police detectives are
still seeking a number of suspects believed to have used
counterfeit Diners Club International credit cards at shopping
malls in the city.

"We already know the identities of the people producing the
bogus cards," he said

So far detectives have arrested two suspects believed to have
purchased valuable goods worth millions of rupiah from shops in
Jakarta, Singapore and some cities in the Netherlands and the
United States.

The two, identified as Budi and Harry, were apprehended while
shopping at the Citraland shopping mall in West Jakarta on Sept.
23.

In producing the fake credit cards, the two suspects contacted
someone in Singapore "to read and copy" the magnetic strip of the
original cards by using a special machine there, Aryanto said.

"Their work was also supported by the annual data of card
holders issued annually by the company which issued the original
cards," he said.

After obtaining complete data, the suspects then made fake
credit cards at a printing company here, he added.

"In their operation the goods purchased using the cards will
be charged to the owners of the original cards," Aryanto
explained.

During police questioning, the two admitted using at least 30
fake credit cards for purchasing goods, which were then resold.

In Jakarta, they usually operated at the Senin shopping
center, Pondok Indah shopping mall and Citraland shopping mall.

They were nabbed at Citraland following a report from a sales
attendant who felt suspicious of their cards.

Earlier, an officer of the City Police confiscated all items
used by the suspects' sponsor in Singapore. The material evidence
included a laptop computer and a machine, which can read the code
found on the magnetic strip of credit cards.

Aryanto admitted that the police do not have adequate data
about other users of the fake credit cards but hoped that the
public could help provide important information about the
operation. (bsr)