Extortion suspects arrested

Extortion suspects arrested

SEMARANG, Central Java: The Central Java Provincial Police
arrested on Wednesday three local men for in an alleged extortion
scam that involved a group of recently-returned laborers from
Saudi Arabia.

Sr. Comr. Fakhrizal, chief detective of the provincial Police,
said the three suspects identified only as PT, 50, PA, 32, and
IR, 22, were arrested after attempting to extort nine female
workers in a house in Ungaran, some 20 kilometers south of the
city.

He said the nine workers were brought in to the house upon
their arrival from the airport and were forced to pay between Rp
200,000 and Rp 300,000 for so-called "security services."

In addition to the nine workers, there were also 18 others who
were waiting outside the house and would later be called in to
pay similar amounts. All of the workers were later allowed to
continue their trip to their home villages in West Nusa Tenggara,
he added.

Fakhrizal said the provincial Police would try to cooperate
with the Jakarta Police, as well as the East Java and West Nusa
Tenggara Provincial Police to investigate the well-organized
syndicate of overseas labor extortion.

He also asked the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration
Ministry to take harsh measures against travel agencies
apparently appointed by, and working in league with, the
extortionists to transport workers from Jakarta to their home
villages via Semarang where the suspects operate. -- Antara