Police raid gambling dens, arrest 565 people
Police raid gambling dens, arrest 565 people
Damar Harsanto
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Police have launched a concerted raid against several gambling
dens in the capital and arrested 565 people as suspects in a
month-long raid.
The city police chief detective of the vice and street
hoodlums section, Adj. Sr. Comr. Idham Azis, said on Thursday
that raids were made after a tip from another citizen.
"It's part of the police effort to get rid of unauthorized
gambling in the city," he said.
In the latest crackdown on Wednesday evening, the police
raided four covert casinos: one in Mega Mall Pluit, North
Jakarta; another at Gading 89 in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta;
one in ITC Roxy Mas and the Malioboro building on Jl. Gajah Mada,
both in Central Jakarta.
Police arrested 119 suspects on Wednesday and seized Rp 37.4
million (US$4,560) in cash and 18 processing devices, which is a
software system to run the gambling machines.
"We have detained 26 of those arrested. We won't release from
them from detention," Idham said, adding that the remaining 93
were required to report to the police once a week.
All 565 of the suspects will reportedly be put on trial.
According to prevailing law and regulations, including
government regulation No. 9/1981, all forms of gambling are a
crime. Those who break the law may be sentenced to a maximum 10
years in jail or fined up to Rp 10 million.
Despite the arrests, Idham admitted that no known gambling
bosses were arrested.
"Most of them are only managers of the sites," he said.
The police have claimed publicly that they are trying to fight
gambling in the city, but amazingly enough gambling dens seem to
be on the increase. It is essentially public knowledge that the
police themselves often "protect" the illegal businesses and use
them as cash cows.
Back in the 1970s, then governor Ali Sadikin legalized
gambling by providing limited locations for gambling. The places
were still "protected" by unscrupulous officials who also may
have benefited financially.
City revenue from gambling taxes was used to finance
development projects in the city.
After criticism from ulemas and other religious leaders,
gambling was later banned.
Incumbent Governor Sutiyoso said in April last year that his
administration planned to build infrastructure for casinos in the
Thousand Islands, North Jakarta.
However, his administration failed to implement the plan due
to strong opposition from some public figures.