Impostors caught in action on train

BOGOR: Two phony train ticket collectors were caught red handed onboard the Pakuan Jabotabek train heading to Jakarta from Bogor after suspicion was raised when they asked for money from passengers on Saturday evening.

The suspects are 45-year-old Ismat, a resident of Ciampea subdistrict and 42-year-old Odih, who lives in Parung subdistrict. Both are from Bogor regency.

They admitted that they had been posing as ticket collectors for the past three months.

"They only did it twice a week. Each passenger, who failed to show their tickets, would have to pay them between Rp 2,000 (US cents 2) and Rp 3,000. The money they collected was later handed over to an official ticket collector," claimed Bogor Police chief, Adj. Comr. Setyo Wasisto.

The police seized Rp 204,000 (US$20.4) from the pair.

Phony collectors are common due to a lack of security and professionalism on trains which has caused state-owned train company PT KAI to suffer up to Rp 4 million in losses per day. -- JP