Military send 235 `gamblers' to police
JAKARTA (JP): A total of 235 of the 238 people arrested during a recent raid on gambling dens have been handed over by the military office (POM) to the police, police sources revealed yesterday.
They also said no policeman took part in the raid on Saturday.
As of yesterday afternoon, the police had yet to release any of the suspects.
"Their case files have not yet been completed and they are still under police investigation," City police spokesman, Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar, told reporters.
According to Latief, city police only received 235 suspects from City Military Headquarters.
"I have no idea about the total number of people arrested. I got all of my information from the police officers who were assigned to handle this case," he said.
Earlier, military officials said they rounded up 238 gamblers in Saturday's raid at the Lucky Plaza building on Jl. Pluit Indah Jaya in North Jakarta. They include five Malaysians, a Hong Kong national, a Taiwanese man and 231 Indonesian nationals.
Spokesman of the City Military Headquarters, Lt. Col. Didi Supandi, could not be reached yesterday, while none of the officers at his office were willing to comment.
When asked to give further details about the seven foreigners in custody, Latief said that he could not say anything because all of the suspects were still being questioned.
Reliable sources at the City Police Headquarters told The Jakarta Post here yesterday that only military officers were involved in the operation.
"None of us were invited to be involved in the operation," said one police officer, who asked not be identified.
When asked why no police officers took part in the raid, Latief refused to give any comment.
By law, at least one police officer has to be present in any raid related to criminal activities.
Military officers said earlier that the raid, carried out in the early hours of the morning Saturday, involved 40 members of the Operation Cleansing team from the Jakarta Chapter for the Agency of the Support for National Stability (Bakorstanasda Jaya).
The agency groups members of related institutions, including personnel from the military, police and justice offices.
Saturday's raid was led by Lt. Col. RR Simbolon from the City Military Headquarters. The team seized cash totaling Rp 44.9 million (US$20,883) and gambling game sets at the scene. (bsr)