Police arrest two for possession of Rp 55.7m fake money
JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta Police detectives arrested two men at a money changer in Blok M area of Kebayoran Baru on Thursday for possession of fake Rp 50,000 banknotes valued at Rp 25.7 million (US$3,000).
Newly-appointed South Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang identified the suspects as couriers Nursidi, 29, and Sukoso, 24, who worked for Seno Adjie, the main suspect, who is still at large.
"Nursidi says he has worked for Seno at PT Torr for about eight years. He said that he did not know what Torr stands for and what it is all about," Aritonang said.
"We're still trying to apprehend Seno."
He said that on Thursday security officers at the Pasar Raya office of money changer PT Indocev in Blok M phoned South Jakarta Police about two men, who had brought in some Rp 25.7 million, in fake money.
"The security officer at the money changer told us that the suspects had meant to exchange the money for US$3,000, but when the money was put under the ultraviolet scanner, it did not turn out to be real money. So, the money changer called us."
When asked whether the police found uang ganda (banknotes with similar serial numbers), Aritonang said there was "no such thing."
Uang ganda are perfect fake banknotes which are authentic in every detail, except that they use serial numbers which have already been used and that they have been allegedly circulated since last year.
Separately, witness M. Jamjuri, who works in the security division of PT Indocev, said he found that the money was fake because of the same serial number on several notes.
"I saw the numbers, and knew something was wrong. I then got chief of PT Indocev security, Yulianto, to detain the two suspects and called South Jakarta Police," Jamjuri told the police, as quoted in police report No. 1102/883/K/V/2000.
A detective who took Jamjuri's statement said he had never seen such "fine fake money."
"It smells real. The paper is of very good quality... the Bank Indonesia stamp is real, except for the serial number," the detective who asked for anonymity said.
Earlier on Wednesday night, Surabaya City Police seized Rp 4.5 billion in fake money and printing equipment from the Arema printing company in the Industrial village of Cakung, East Jakarta.
The Surabaya police detectives, with the help of East Jakarta Police detectives, are "questioning as a witness," a retired Army colonel, Slamet Hardjo, 61, and two suspects, Arema owner Mohamad Asikin and friend Sumitro, over the matter, an East Jakarta police source said.
"About a week ago, the Surabaya police apprehended a courier of fake money, and after questioning, learned that the printing company was here. They asked the East Jakarta Police to help find the company and we did," the source said.
Early in March, police officers and customs officials in the capital and the nearby town of Bogor confiscated fake rupiah and dollar banknotes totaling Rp 5 billion and $16,000 in several raids.
The central bank's director for banknote supervision, H.Y. Susmanto, said the counterfeit rupiah notes in circulation last year reached Rp 6.17 billion, equivalent to about 0.01 percent of the total Rp 50.4 trillion of banknotes in circulation. (ylt)