Crooked E. Jakarta officer sought

Crooked E. Jakarta officer sought

JAKARTA (JP): City police are searching for a member of the East Jakarta police precinct believed to have acted as a godfather for a number of street hoodlums operating near the City Military Headquarters.

Head of the On-the-Alert City Police for operational affairs Capt. Syaiful B. said yesterday the fugitive was identified only as MT, an officer from intelligence affairs at the East Jakarta police precinct.

The wanted officer was allegedly caught demanding money from bus drivers near the Cililitan terminal together with a group of hoodlums, known as preman, when a team of plain clothes officers from the city police carried out a cleansing operation at the site yesterday morning, Syaiful said.

During the operation, seven hoodlums were arrested.

According to the arrested criminals, they asked for Rp 500 (22 US cents) from each inter-city bus driver using certain roads.

"Our group consists of eight people," said one the suspects. "Everyday we can earn Rp 40,000 per person just working between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.," he said. (bsr)