City police arrest two for bank fraud

City police arrest two for bank fraud

JAKARTA (JP): City police have arrested two members of a gang
for allegedly having defrauded several banks in the city.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said yesterday
that the gang members, with only primary school educations, had
ripped off at least Rp 186.3 million (US$80,825) by forging the
signatures of numerous bank account holders.

"The gang is believed to have been in operation for more than
five years so the real amount might be much higher," Iman said,
adding that the leader of the gang, Chaidir Abullah, alias Kadir,
died last December.

Two members, identified as Holil and Anwar, are still at
large, Iman said.

A. Gozali and Sumardiono, alias Umar, were arrested by police
last week at Bank Dipo International's office in Slipi, West
Jakarta, after the bank's personnel confirmed that they had
forged the signature in the account book of Tasmiyati Mujiono to
transfer Rp 23.2 million from her account to a BII branch office
in Senen, Central Jakarta, Iman said.

Iman said each gang member had a responsibility. One was in
charge of getting bank account numbers, one for getting samples
of the signatures, and another to find out where certain
companies had their bank accounts. The others would arrange for
the banks to send the money to their account in Bogor.

"According to them, their first target was Bank BNI 46," the
spokesman said.

The late Chaidir, together with Holil and A. Gozali, came to
the bank's office on Jl. Sudirman on Nov. 9 and 11, 1990, and
successfully transferred Rp 99 million from the account of PT
Inti Ganda Perdana to their account at BNI's Glodok branch
office.

They stole Rp 87.3 million from the account of Wiranata
Prawira at Bank Mayora in Tomang, East Jakarta, in their second
operation, Iman said. "Fortunately, two of them were caught in
their third operation."

"We're still checking to see who else fell victim to their
operation," he said. (bsr)