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)