Police Reveal Liquid in "Black Dollar" Scam is Detergent Water

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Police have revealed that the special liquid used in a “black dollar” scam by three Liberian nationals against a South Korean victim in the Meruya area of West Jakarta was detergent water.

“So, after we conducted checks, that special liquid was ordinary white water mixed with detergent,” said Deputy Head of Criminal Investigation at the West Jakarta Metropolitan Police Resort, Commissioner R Dwi Kennardi, to reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The liquid was offered by the perpetrators to the victim for thousands of US dollars to wash the black dollars to turn them into genuine dollar bills.

“The suspect claimed with his deceitful tactics that the liquid was a special solution to dissolve the black dollars or black money to turn them into real dollars,” said Kenn.

As is known, a foreign national from South Korea named Lee Byung Ok suffered losses of up to Rp1.6 billion in the case.

Meanwhile, the police have only arrested two suspects who are foreign nationals from Liberia in the fraud case.

“For the suspects, namely IDK alias JK and SDT alias JP, while another one, PL alias P, has fled and is currently a DPO (most wanted list),” said Kenn.

Black dollars or black dollar is a counterfeit money scam modus operandi using black, blue, or white paper (coated with carbon), claimed to be genuine foreign currency (usually US dollars or USD) that has been disguised.

The perpetrators claim the money was disguised from customs and can be cleaned with a special chemical, but in reality, the money is fake or just a mixture with a small amount of real money.

“Suspect SDT alias JP then offered an investment in the form of black dollars to the victim at one of the hotels in West Jakarta, and the three suspects showed a stack of US dollars amounting to $50,” explained Kenn.

Then, suspects IDK and SDT showed the victim black dollars worth $3,300. Then, suspect SDT washed some of the black dollars using the special liquid, resulting in the appearance of real money amounting to $300.

Meanwhile, the other 3,000 sheets of black dollars were left unwashed, and the $300 in washed money was given to the victim to exchange at a money changer. The result was positive; the money could be exchanged.

That method, said Kenn, was used by the perpetrators to gain the victim’s trust.

“On 24 September 2025, the three suspects met the victim at the victim’s apartment and brought two suitcases containing US dollars. Then, suspects IDK alias JK and SDT asked the victim for $50,000 to retrieve three more suitcases of money held at the airport customs,” explained Kenn.

Without thinking twice, the victim immediately gave that amount of money to the suspects.

“The three suspects then pretended to go to the airport to retrieve the suitcases and reassured the victim. The next day, the three suspects returned to the victim’s apartment bringing three suitcases along with one jerrycan of liquid that had been released (from customs),” said Kenn.

At the victim’s apartment, suspect SDT took out $22,000 in money from the suitcase and washed it using the liquid in the jerrycan.

“However, only a few bills could be washed because the liquid was insufficient. Then, suspect SDT asked the victim for $62,500 to buy new liquid, but the victim said at that time he did not have the money,” revealed Kenn.

“The victim then gave $50,000 to the suspect. Then, the three suspects pretended to go buy the liquid,” said Kenn.

Subsequently, around 2:30 PM, the suspects invited the victim to meet at a mall to show the suitcases containing two jerrycans of liquid to the victim.

The victim then immediately returned to his apartment carrying the three suitcases.

However, when the victim washed the black dollars he received from the suspects, what emerged was not dollar bills, but only pieces of paper shaped like money.

Due to the incident, the victim suffered losses and reported the experience to the police.

After receiving the report, the police moved to investigate and arrested two suspects, namely IDK alias JK and SDT alias JP. Meanwhile, the other one, PL alias P, is still at large.

For their actions, the perpetrators are charged under Article 378 of the Criminal Code on fraud.

“With a maximum prison sentence of four years,” emphasised Kenn.