BIN agents arrested for counterfeiting
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.