Beware of organized crime embryos: Hindarto

Beware of organized crime embryos: Hindarto

JAKARTA (JP): Organized crime syndicates have begun to develop
in the city through small groups of gamblers, extorters and
pimps, warns a senior police officer.

"These small units could grow stronger and become an
untouchable organized crime chain if adequate measures are not
taken to get rid of them now," Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto said
recently.

The former Jakarta Police chief strongly urged all members of
the community to unite to fight against these criminal groups as
soon as possible.

"If we don't, we'll face difficulties later. These problems
can be found in countries like Italy, the United States, Japan
and Hong Kong, where gangs are strong and well organized,"
reminded Hindarto, who is now a senior officer at the National
Police Headquarters.

According to the two-star general, among the small but visible
organized crime embryos operating in Jakarta here are pimps and
brothel owners, stolen vehicle syndicates, drug rings and gangs
of debt collectors and thugs.

Pimps and the heads of syndicates that steal cars, for
instance, follow the organization that professional crime
syndicates use, Hindarto said.

Each group has divisions with specific responsibilities and
tasks, such as to find, treat and sell the prostitutes or
products. Other divisions will build-up contacts with high-
ranking and promising officers to back the syndicate's
operations, he said.

Therefore, many illegal activities are not reported to the
police because they have been blocked by high-ranking backers, he
said.

Members of each divisions are managed in such a way that they
don't know the other personnel. This makes it hard for police
detectives to gather material evidence and arrest members or the
godfather, explained Hindarto, who spent years as a police
detective.

"All these small-scale criminal groups are potential eggs for
the birth of a powerful organized crime syndicate in the future,"
he added.

"I really wonder when some people say that organized crime has
not entered the city."

Hindarto refused to elaborate further or name a group that has
set up in the city.

When asked about his view of the powerful Pemuda Pancasila
youth organization, Hindarto replied that the bad image of the
organization was caused by a handful of its members, who
committed crimes their own interests.

He gave no further explanation.

Many organized crime syndicates run gambling, prostitution,
extortion and drug dealing business behind the cover of
legitimate businesses and use various types of scare tactics,
including kidnapping, Hindarto said.

These syndicates will expand into a country after members of
the group have developed strong community and business ties, he
said.

"The Mafia, for example, can't set up here because of the
limited number of Italians in Jakarta," he said. "Same with other
syndicates like Yakuza from Japan."

Indonesia, however, must be on guard against the arrival of
the Triad, a Hong Kong based crime syndicate, because there is
strong indications that the group is planning to set up shop in
many Asian countries, Hindarto warned.

He said the recent murder of a gambling operator who --
according to police investigators -- had links with the Triad,
was a warning.

He explained that all Jakartans must take immediate action to
stop small-scale crime groups and the growing number of gangsters
and racketeers from growing bigger. (bsr)