City loses infamous sex, gambling den
City loses infamous sex, gambling den
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The infamous Kalijodo prostitution and gambling complex in
North Jakarta had become a lucrative spot for illegal profiteers,
but it seems those days are gone, at least in Kalijodo.
It was a "money machine" for Gondo, 43, a local resident who
operated two gambling and prostitution parlors in the area.
One of his three-story parlors called Pondok Indah was burnt
down during the recent riots that broke out on Saturday.
"Every night I could earn at least Rp 500,000 profit from the
operation of the two pubs alone. Not including the room fees,
which were Rp 15,000 for 3 hours," he said.
"I have 30 4x3 meter rooms located in two different parlors,
which pulled in at least Rp 800,000 per night", he said.
He refused to mention the number of sex workers operating for
him, but did say that their price was around Rp 60,000 per
customer.
Gondo claimed that he was the first to open a pub and
prostitution center in Kalijodo back in 1985. Pondok Indah was
located in the area under the control of the Aziz group, one of
the three notorious gangs in the area, while the other one
located inside the area was controlled by the H. Usman group.
On Tuesday morning, Gondo and his workers were seen packing up
their belongings, ready to move to another locale as city
authorities planned to permanently shut down Kalijodo.
"Well, this time it seems that the authorities are going to
keep their word and close the place, not just a hoax like last
year," he said.
Another "success" story is H. Usman, the godfather of a gang
from Mandar, South Sulawesi.
According to Adang, not a real name, one of H. Usman's
subordinates who participated in the riots, his "boss" controls
about 500 people from Mandar.
"He came here around 1985 as a petty croupier, eventually
running a koprok gambling den (a type of gambling game using
dice). Now, he owns luxury homes in Pluit, Tambora and Bekasi as
a result of his business activities in Kalijodo," said Adang
whose whole body, from feet to neck, is adorned with tattoos.
H. Usman lives in a luxurious house in Pluit's Karang Sari
exclusive housing complex. According to a sidewalk vendor in the
area, every Thursday he would donate food to the poor who live in
the area.
His subordinates were reportedly involved in the brawl with
rival hoodlums from the gang led by Aziz from Makassar, South
Sulawesi, which apparently led to the riots.
Kalijodo is located along the river bank of Kali Grogol in
North Jakarta, inside the residential area of Pejagalan
subdistrict.
It was originally one of the city's Chinese neighborhoods and
was a popular spot for men to fish in the 1950's. Women also
often used to wash clothes in the river, which was clean at that
time. Kalijodo later became a popular place for lovers or people
looking for mates, as reflected in the name kali, meaning river,
and jodo meaning match.
Meliani, a long time resident, recalled a kinder, gentler
time, when in 1975, at the age of 15, she could still swim there
and drink the water.
"But in 1980s the water began to become horribly polluted and
at the same time outsiders from Sulawesi and Banten flocked to
the area," she lamented.
In the 1980's, prostitutes also began to flock to the area,
followed by the thugs and gangs. Many locals chose to leave the
formerly peaceful neighborhood of their youth, for good.