Jamaican and Pakistani arrested over fake money

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya

Papua Police said on Monday they had arrested a Jamaican and a Pakistani for allegedly possessing almost US$500,000 in counterfeit banknotes.

Meanwhile, police in the East Java capital, Surabaya, briefly detained three Japanese and a Filipino for allegedly failing to produce valid permits to stay in Indonesia.

The Jamaican, identified only as David, was caught on Saturday, while his Pakistani alleged accomplice, Mohammad Jamil, was nabbed a day earlier, Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Daud Sihombing was quoted by Antara as saying.

He said David was arrested at Sentani Airport in Papua upon his arrival from Jakarta aboard a Garuda Indonesia plane.

The suspects are being held at Jayapura police station on charges of carrying a total of some US$480,000 in forged money, Daud added.

Apparently, the bills had just been printed and were ready for use, Daud added.

He said Jamil arrived in Jayapura last Tuesday and visited a money changer to convert US$100,000 in counterfeit money.

The local police had yet to establish why the foreigners had come to come to Papua, he added.

In Surabaya, police arrested on Saturday four foreign employees from PT Nippon Koei CD Ltd, located in Menganti, Gresik regency, East Java.

They are charged with violating Law No. 9/1992, which requires foreigners to report their whereabouts to the police. The charge carries a penalty of one year in prison or a fine of Rp 5 million (US$5800).

The four suspects were named as Okada Otashi, Hirasoji and Kawamura -- all Japanese nationals -- and Janice Iyogi Hernandes of the Philippines.

The foreigners were caught in a raid near Menganti but were later released and their passports seized instead. The local police also obliged the suspects to report every day.

Surabaya Police chief Sr. Comr. Ade Raharja said on Monday the four foreigners had not promptly arranged the documents necessary for them to stay in Indonesia.

"If their permits were no longer valid, they should have arranged for new ones," he said.