Police name 22 suspected gamblers

MANADO, North Sulawesi: Provincial police named on Monday 22 suspects following the questioning of 385 people arrested following a series of raids on several gambling dens last week.

The suspects included four senior figures, who are believed to control the gambling network in the province, players and cashiers, chief of detectives of North Sulawesi Police Supt. Halba R. Nugroho said.

Police seized a total of Rp 150 million in cash, a cash register and several pieces of gaming equipment as evidence from the arrested suspects.

Halba said the suspects would be charged under Article 303 of the penal code on gambling, a crime which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.

"They concealed the gambling activities by pretending to run a lottery," Habal said.

Police, he added, are hunting down two more suspects. --JP