Gambling-machine technician nabbed

JAKARTA (JP): A Malaysian man arrested by immigration officers on Friday was still being detained at the West Jakarta Immigration Office in Kalideres yesterday.

The head of the immigration office, M. Iman Santoso, said Soo Tee Kiong, a Malaysian passport holder, was arrested at Omni Batavia Hotel, on Jl. Kalibesar Barat, West Jakarta, for abusing immigration permits.

"Soo entered the country with a visa-free facility for short visits," Iman said.

Iman said the immigration office recorded the Malaysian man entering Indonesia three times. The last time, on May 31, he entered through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, he said.

He said the immigration office had yet to deport Soo and would send the suspect to police for further investigation because there were indications he was involved in a crime.

Meanwhile, immigration department spokesman Mursanudin A. Ghani said Soo's arrest was made possible after West Jakarta immigration officers received an anonymous tip from the public last Wednesday about some gambling dens, which were allegedly managed by Soo.

Ghani said the officers then drove to one of the gambling dens in the Muara Baru area, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, and pretended to be patrons of the gambling center.

A moment later, Soo and three local people arrived in an Isuzu Panther van, Ghani said.

He said the three local people loaded some of the machines on a pedicab and left, while Soo was repairing one of the machines.

Ghani said Soo and his friends were believed to have illegally operated the gambling machines at four locations in Rawa Bebek and at three other locations near the Pluit toll road.

After finishing repairs to the machine, Soo went back to his hotel, he said.

Ghani said immigration officers booked a room on the same floor as Soo on Thursday to facilitate the investigation.

He said on the next day the immigration officers followed Soo, who repaired a gambling machine in the Gedung Panjang area, North Jakarta.

There were about 200 gambling machines allegedly operated by Soo at various places in crowded residential areas. Another 100 machines were not working, he said.

The machines were imported from Taiwan in April. Their operation over two and a half months brought in earnings of at least Rp 525 million (US$214,285) for the owners, Ghani said. (jun)