Military seizes slot machines from betting dens
Military seizes slot machines from betting dens
JAKARTA (JP): The military-sponsored Operation Cleansing team has confiscated 178 slot machines from several shops and amusement centers throughout the city.
The team, however, did not arrest any of the operators of the one-armed bandits.
The largest haul were seized on Tuesday evening in West Jakarta with 50 machines impounded, followed by East Jakarta with 47, North Jakarta with 31, South Jakarta with 26, and Central Jakarta with 24.
A spokesman for the Jakarta Military Command, Lt. Col. Didi Supandi, said yesterday that the real number of the slot machines in operation here was quite larger that the total seized in the Tuesday raids.
Didi said he believed that many of the operators had hidden their machines after they got information from a circular distributed by the municipality office several days before the raids.
"The other possible factor which had partly foiled the raids was that the operators had received a tip from other parties," Didi said.
At the Pasar Alam business center, in Kapuk subdistrict, West Jakarta, for instance, the team had been informed by the local military chief that there had at least 52 slot machines being operated.
However, the team only found 20 during the raid, he said.
The sudden raids started at 8:30 p.m. with the support of the local police units.
Mrs. Nurhayati, an operator of the machines, was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday that she usually earned around Rp 100,000 (US$46.50) per day.
"Previously, when I first went into business, I could earn Rp 150,000," said Nurhayati, who owned two machines.
She said that she purchased the machines at Rp 2.6 million ($1,209) each from an agent in North Jakarta.
Praise
Meanwhile, city councilors praised the work of the military and appealed to the authorities to uphold the raids.
"The lure of the machines stimulates people to try again and again, even though they will only spend their money for nothing," said Muhammad Banang, a councilor from the United Development Party (PPP) faction.
Councilor Sahala P. Sinaga, The Indonesian Democratic Party- PDI, was worried by the fact that many school children had become addicted to the game and would later waste their time and spend their school fees on the machines.
"The city authorities should ban or strictly control the game," Sahala said.
Councilor Subagyo (Golkar) reminded the city authorities to be more selective in issuing permits for this type of veiled gambling game.
"We have really been cheated by businessmen who produced the machines," Subagyo said. (bsr)