Police arrest 88 people in a raid on gambling den

As many as 88 people were arrested late on Monday in a police raid at a single gambling den on Jl. Mangga Besar Raya, Taman Sari district in West Jakarta.

City Police chief detective Sr. Comr. Mathius Salempang said on Tuesday that the police also detained six others who were suspected of being the gambling den operators, including the manager who was identified as En Ek Cay alias Acai.

"The raid is aimed at eliminating the illegal practices in the city. We simply cannot tolerate gambling during Ramadhan, especially when the city administration has ordered all night spots and entertainment venues to stop operation for the whole month," he said.

From the gambling den, the police seized five mickey mouse gambling machines and Rp 5.3 million (US$623) in cash.

Out of the 88 people arrested, the police identified 33 of them as gamblers, while the remaining 55 were only spectators and janitors.

Monday's raid was the largest this year.

According to the existing law, all forms of gambling are a crime. Those who break the law will be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison or fined up to Rp 10 million. But none of those arrested are ever brought at trial.

It is public knowledge that the police themselves often protect the illegal businesses and use them as cash cows.

Separately, Jatinegara Police subprecinct also arrested 19 sex workers and transvestites at two separate places on Jl. Bekasi Timur and Prumpung, both in East Jakarta.

Sukidi admitted that the arrest targeting sex workers was, by law, the task of public order officers.

"But, they (the public order officers) were afraid to take any action against them. That was why we took over the responsibility for the raid on sex workers," he told reporters.

The police confiscated 200 bottles of alcoholic drinks from them.