Police raid discotheques, illegal gambling dens
JAKARTA (JP): More than 200 people, including five Armed Forces personnel, were arrested in raids on nightspots and illicit gambling dens in West and Central Jakarta over the weekend.
The police confiscated Rp 23.4 million (US$9,693) and gambling paraphernalia including pin ball machines from the illegal gambling houses. And an FN45 gun loaded with seven bullets, 35 marijuana cigarettes, 39 Ecstasy pills and five capsules believed to contain Ecstasy powder, from the night spots.
The operations, code-named Walet and Kilat Jaya, involved 260 police officers from various units, including the Mobile Brigades, detectives, and Speed Reaction Units.
Operation Walet started at 9:00 p.m. Friday when 105 officers busted three illicit gambling dens on Jl. Mangga Besar Raya, Jl. Gajah Mada, and the Raja Mas discotheque on Jl. Hayam Wuruk in West Jakarta.
The team confiscated some Rp 10 million from the 171 gamblers arrested at the five locations, and seized gambling paraphernalia.
Unofficial sources said some of those arrested had nothing to do with the illegal businesses. They had just stopped by the gambling dens.
The Kilat Jaya Operation started at around midnight Friday, with 155 officers simultaneously busting the Lido Oriental Executive, Kaliber, Stardust, and the Puja Siera discotheques in West and Central Jakarta.
The leader of the operation, Capt. A.H. Gani, said the operation was to curb the circulation of drugs at entertainment centers.
The operation ended at dawn Saturday with 45 people, including 15 women and five military personnel, arrested.
The Lido discotheque, on the sixth floor of the Ciputra Hotel, West Jakarta, was the first nightspot busted in the operation.
Eleven of the 45 people arrested were Lido customers, allegedly found possessing drugs and hand-rolled marijuana cigarettes. They were taken to City Police headquarters for further questioning.
Four of the five military personnel arrested by the police were at the Lido. The FN45 hand-gun was seized from one of the four.
Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso has vowed to take stern action against military personnel caught frequenting and working for entertainment centers.
A waiter at Lido complained about the raid, saying it could inflict financial losses on the waiters and waitresses.
"Many people left their tables during the police search. If they are taken away by the officers or if they leave to escape the raid, who will pay for what they ordered? We, the waiters and waitresses have to take responsibility for the bills," the waiter said.
Among the Lido customers arrested were a Taiwanese couple found with four Ecstasy pills.
Other foreigners were arrested during the next raid on Kaliber discotheque on Jl. Kali Besar Barat, West Jakarta.
A Japanese man and a Singaporean woman were arrested for allegedly possessing three marijuana cigarettes.
The couple denied it, saying; "What is this? How can the police say the cigarettes were ours just because they found them on the floor near our table?," the Japanese man said.
At least two men and two women were arrested in the raid on Stardust discotheque on Jl. Pintu Besar Selatan. The raid on Puja Siera Pub and Discotheque on Jl. Gajah Mada downtown resulted in the arrest of a woman who tried to hide drugs in her underwear.
Saturday's operations were the follow up of a recent series of nightspot busts by the military in its efforts to curb the spread of drugs.
Owners of nightspots have complained about the raids, saying they deter visitors and hurt their businesses. (04)