More expats found dead in Jakarta

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Alone in Jakarta during business trips, or on short-time working contracts, foreigners are increasingly becoming targets for crime.

Less than two weeks after German and Australian nationals were murdered in their rented houses, a Japanese identified as Isamu Otsu was found dead last Friday in Park Lane Hotel, South Jakarta.

Although there were no signs of violence found on Otsu's body -- who was found lying face down in the bathroom with blood around his nose -- police have not ruled out the possibility that he was murdered.

"We are still waiting for laboratory results. We have also questioned several witnesses and examined other evidence," general crimes unit chief at the Jakarta Police Sr. Comr. Suhardi Alius told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

On Aug. 22, German citizen Helmut Kleinen was found dead in his bedroom in his rented house in Jl. Bangka, South Jakarta.

On the same day, police arrested Kleinen's domestic helper and the latter's two friends as suspects of murder.

Earlier in mid August, Australian Frans Luis Merre, 70, was found dead in his house in the Tugu subdistrict of Depok.

Police suspect that the Australian was murdered by relatives of his domestic helper. Police said that they were still trying to find their whereabouts.

This year, several foreigners from South Korea, Russia, and Japan, have been found dead in their hotels, apartments or rented houses.

"We acknowledge that foreign nationals are being targeted by criminals as many live alone and isolate themselves from their surrounding area. Criminals will take advantage of such a situation," Suhardi said.

He added that sometimes it could be many days before the police became aware that a foreign resident had been murdered.

"We do in fact take special security measures to protect certain areas where foreigners live, but we can't guard them one by one because of limited numbers of personnel," he said.

"Foreign nationals should select helpers or assistants carefully to make sure they can be trusted."