Crackdown on gambling called for

Crackdown on gambling called for

TANGERANG (JP): About 500 ulemas grouped in the Defenders of
Islam Front (FPI) have urged Tangerang Police to crack down on an
upsurge in gambling.

The group also threatened to mobilize members of the public
and stage mass actions if police failed to eradicate gambling and
drug transactions, which they said were "ruining the people's
mentality".

"We are ready to deploy 15,000 jihad forces to eliminate
gambling and drug activities here," said one of the senior FPI
members.

He added that the local ulemas doubted that the local police
would be able to handle the problem due to the involvement of
personnel with "vested interests".

The ulemas met with Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Pudji
Hartanto, several officials from the local administration and the
Tangerang chapter of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) at the
Almahmud Foundation office on Sunday.

Ulemas said gambling was rife in villages and kampongs here.

"Pedicab drivers, motorbike taxi drivers, housewives and
students have become addicted to gambling," the group said.

Pudji said that efforts to stop gambling presented a dilemma,
he said.

"The demand (from residents) is very high. That's why there
are lots of gambling operators here. The law of economics says
there is an equal point between demand and supply.

Tangerang Police detectives, in the presence of several
ulemas, conducted raids on Saturday night of two suspected
gambling dens and a discotheque. They seized pakong coupons and
several million rupiah in cash, and also questioned a number of
people. (41/edt)