Foreigners netted in IDs operation

Thirty-one foreigners were apprehended for traveling without carrying identification documents in an identity card check on Thursday in Central Jakarta, North Jakarta and West Jakarta.

The foreigners were from Japan (9), South Korea (5), China (4), Taiwan (4), Australia (4) and one from Singapore, Yemen and Denmark.

They were released shortly after each of them had paid a fine of Rp 50,000.

Head of the department in charge of supervising and monitoring the city's population, H. Soemarno, said the foreigners were not illegal migrants.

"Most were staying in hotels and simply forgot to carry their passports," he said. The operation, code-named Operasi Yustisi, has netted more than 10,0000 Indonesian people in the last month. Each failed to produce ID cards when asked by the operation's officers.

The operation team ordered the Indonesians to pay a fine of between Rp 3,000 and Rp 20,000.(bas)