BIN agents arrested for counterfeiting
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The National Police has arrested seven officers from the powerful State Intelligence Agency (BIN). They are alleged to have been involved in producing fake banknotes in a long-running crime that the authorities have found difficult to put a stop to.
Ironically, one of the seven officers was a retired police officer Brig. Gen. Zyaeri, a chief of staff at BIN's special division for the eradication of currency counterfeiting.
According to the police, the six other suspects -- Haryanto, Jaelani, Woronakus Saptoro, Muhammad Iskandar and two others with the initials DD and TA -- were civil servants working in the agency.
The seven officers are charged with violating articles 244, 245 and 250 of the Criminal Code, carrying a maximum jail term of 15 years if proven guilty.
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar claimed on Friday that he had received reports from BIN that its members were allegedly involved in the production of counterfeit money.
"We're still investigating the case. It's now in process," Da'i said.
Da'i added that BIN had surrendered all seven officers into the custody of the police on Thursday, and that the police would work immediately to solve the case.
National police deputy chief of detectives Insp. Gen. Dadang Garnida added that currently the police were still collecting evidence to press charges against the seven suspects.
"If we find enough evidence, they will be detained for sure. This is a new case, however, and we have only just started our investigation," Dadang said.
He added that the police would be seeking more information from related witnesses in the near future, but he refused to elaborate.
"We will also work together with Bank Indonesia (BI) and the country's anti-money laundering agency, the Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center (PPATK), to solve the case."
So far, the police have confiscated 2,000 units of Rp 100,000 (US$11) banknotes, and other equipment such as a printing machine.
The police refused to mention the exact location where the counterfeit money was being produced, or when the operation started.
Meanwhile, director of the national police fraud squad, Brig. Gen. Andi Chaeruddin, said that the police had actually wanted to keep the case quiet fearing that publicity could negatively affect the nation's economy.
Separately, Yunus Husein, head of PPATK, said that the case was allegedly linked to the discovery in 2004 of fake notes at a private bank located in Aceh.
Data from Bank Indonesia shows that from January to September 2004 BI has collected 36,550 fake notes comprising 15,940 units of Rp 50,000 notes, 12,309 Rp 100,000 notes, 4,258 Rp 20,000 notes, 3,863 Rp 10,000 notes, and 190 Rp 5,000 bills.
The data showed an increase from the previous year where BI only detected a total of 24,656 counterfeit notes. There is an increasing pattern of Rp 100,000 banknotes being counterfeited as compared to other denominations.