Mali man nabbed for cheating to multiply money

BOGOR (JP): Bogor Police have arrested two people in Bukit Sentul housing complex for swindling people with claims that were able to multiply their U.S. dollar bills by spiritual means.

Police Intelligence chief Edi S. Tambunan said here on Friday that Tolvana, 60, from Mali, and Usman, 45, from Jakarta, were arrested last Saturday, after a tip from police in Jakarta.

"The police in Jakarta informed us that the pair were cheating people by claiming they could multiply their dollar banknotes at the housing complex," Edi said.

He said that after raiding the house, police found a chest containing US$140 and a cobra and a python. The two suspects used the snakes to frighten potential victims, he said.

Edi said one victim was a businessman, identified only as SR, from Jakarta. He said the two suspects convinced him that they could multiply his dollar banknotes spiritually.

The suspects asked the victim to give them US$84,000, which was promised to be increased to US$99 million, Edi said. The victim only had US$71,000, which the suspects accepted, he said.

They took the businessman to their house in the Bukit Sentul housing complex to show him that they could multiply money, Edi said.

The suspects showed the victim a chest containing a pile of dollar banknotes. As only a candle was lit in the room, it gave the illusion that there was a lot of money, but in actual fact only $140, which was placed on top, was real and the rest of the bills were fake, Edi said.

Two snakes were beside the chest, and when SR tried to take a closer look, the snakes reared up at him.

"I've reported this case to the Mali Embassy and the suspects will be tried here," said Edi. (21)