Four people held for cyber crime

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Yogyakarta Police announced here on Thursday that they had arrested four people, three of them students, for allegedly using other people's credit card numbers to purchase goods through the Internet.

The provincial police economic crime intelligence unit's chief Comr. Didi Y. Yasmin told a press conference here that 60 more had been identified as such cyber criminals, who had been put on the police's wanted list.

Didi identified the suspects as Pet, 23, Jouv 25, Hwa, 22, who are students of two private universities, and businessman, Sim, 24.

The four, Didi said, could be charged with violating Article 362 of the Criminal Code for stealing, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Didi said that Interpol had informed Yogyakarta Police that they found a number of Yogyakarta people had purchased goods using other people's credit card numbers.

"We had been monitoring many people, including the 60 now blacklisted, because they had frequently received goods through international packages. The four suspects were arrested separately when collecting packages from abroad at Yogyakarta Central Post Office," he said. He did not disclose when the arrests were made.

"The suspects allegedly used many nicknames when purchasing the goods. But we identified them because they wrote their complete addresses. Besides, we managed to trace the Internet cafes where they had ordered the purchase," said Didi.

Several citizens of various countries, including Germany, Finland, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, reported to the Interpol that their credit card number had been used for online shopping in Indonesia. Some of the con artists were in Yogyakarta, he added.

Didi said that the four suspects were not detained for fear that the detention period -- 24 hours after they were arrested -- would expired before the police collected adequate evidence to complete the charges.

"But, they promised not to escape and agreed to report to the police once a week."

Police have also confiscated 17 (international) packages from the post offices as evidence. The packages include dozens of 3D eyeglasses, astronomical telescopes, golf clubs, photographic equipment, car spare parts, and some electronic goods. (23)