Police in Medan, North Sumatra, have arrested two people in
Police in Medan, North Sumatra, have arrested two people in
Bukit Sentul housing complex for swindling people with claims
that were able to multiply their U.S. dollar bills by spiritual
means.
Police Intelligence chief Cmr. Edi S. Tambunan said here on
Friday that Tolvana, 60, from Mali, and Usman, 45, from Jakarta,
were arrested last Saturday.
One of the victims, a businessman from Jakarta, said the
suspects asked him to give them US$84,000, which was promised to
be increased to US$99 million, Edi said. The victim only had
US$71,000, which the suspects accepted, he said.
The suspects showed the victim a chest containing a pile of
dollar banknotes. As only a candle was lit in the room, it gave
the illusion that there was a lot of money, but in actual fact
only $140, which was placed on top, was real and the rest of the
bills were fake, Edi said.
Two snakes were beside the chest, and when SR tried to take a
closer look, the snakes reared up at him.
Trafficking
victims sent home
Sixteen of 17 victims of forced prostitution returned to their
respective hometowns in Salatiga, Central Java, late on Thursday
after they received some transportation money from a number of
members of the House of Representatives, an officer at the
Penjaringan Police subprecinct in North Jakarta said.
The legislators visited the young women, who were staying at
the police station, and asked them about their plans. The girls
said they wanted to go home but did not have any money, according
to police officer Supardi.
"They gave them envelopes, so we don't know the amount given
to each girl," the officer remarked.
"We then took the girls to the bus terminal and waited for
their buses to depart," Supardi said, adding they were destined
for, among other places, Pekalongan in Central Java, Jember in
East Java and Lampung. (emf)
New bus routes
scheduled
Thirty-five bus routes using the Takengon terminal in South
Aceh will be rerouted starting Monday in an effort to alleviate
the traffic on Jl. Trunojoyo.
Arfan, the head of Blok M bus terminal, said on Friday that
the changes would be made to avoid the heavy traffic congestion
on the street outside the terminal, which is mostly caused by the
long line of buses waiting for passengers.
He said buses heading to the Ciledug area in South Jakarta
would no longer use Jl. Trunojoyo when they left the terminal,
but would instead turn right onto Jl. Iskandarsyah and then turn
on Jl. Melawai, Jl. Panglima Polim and Jl. Bulungan before
resuming the former route along Jl. Kyai Maja.
Most bus lanes will also change as a result of the altered
route.