Police arrest seven for exchanging fake money

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City Police managed to thwart an attempt by a group of counterfeiters to exchange Rp 108.000,000 (US$10,000) in fake Rp 100,000 notes into U.S. dollars at the PT. Limindo money changer on Wednesday on Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda, South Jakarta.

The incident is the fifth such known case in Jakarta in the last two years. Three were reported in 2000, while another one was reported last year.

In all, seven suspects were arrested. But BB and TN, believed to the masterminds of the operation, managed to flee just before police stormed the exchange.

Comr. Heri Wibowo, of the Kebayoran Lama subprecinct, said that the suspects were all professionals with ties to a large, sophisticated counterfeiting network.

The phony bills very closely resemble the original notes.

Investigators coincided as much. "The material, the look and the safety line are exactly the same," Heri said.

But they're not quite perfect. "What makes the difference is the ultraviolet serial number. The fake ones don't look precise under the ultraviolet detector light," he added.

"Should the suspects use this money as payment in a shop or a market, it's going to be very difficult to differentiate it from the original bill."

Among the suspects, all of whom are apparently well-educated, are a doctor, and a state employee of the National Land Agency (BPN).

The arrest took place after the two of the suspects, both females, came to the money changer on Monday, at around 3 p.m. The teller, Lindawati, asked them to return on Tuesday, as the exchange was closed for the day.

Instead of returning the following day, police said, the suspects instead arrived on Wednesday at 11 a.m. in two cars, a Toyota Kijang, and a Honda Civic.

BB, the group leader, passed the fake notes on to Lindawati in 10 bundles. Before the transaction could be completed, the changer had to transfer the money to the exchange's bank account number in Bank Mandiri, some 50 meters away.

Two of the suspects, Witono and Rachman, went to the bank with a changer employee, Vivi, to deliver the money.

Another bank teller named Melly, meanwhile, grew suspicious on noticing the untidy serial numbers on the notes.

She reported it to the bank's security guard, who called the head of the bank, and the Kebayoran police subprecinct.

Soon after, six policemen, headed by Second. Ins. Bambang Purnomo, arrived and detained the suspects.

Before police arrived at the scene, however, BB and TN managed to leave -- but not before ordering their subordinates to stay.

The police seized all the counterfeited money, along with both of the cars. Inside the Toyota, they found another Rp 8 million worth of fake money under the carpet.