Police warn of birth of organized crime

Police warn of birth of organized crime

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy to National Police Chief for Operational
Affairs Maj. Gen. Koesparmono Irsan revealed here yesterday that
the growing number of criminal groups in the city could lead to
the eventual birth of powerful organized crime groups.

Although no organized crime groups operate in Indonesia, all
parties, including members of the community, have to pay much
attention to the rampant spread of small-scale criminal groups
here, the senior police officer told reporters.

"Many organized crime groups all over the world, such as the
Hong Kong-based Triad gang and the Sicilian Mafia, were born from
small-scale criminal groups," said the two-star general.

"There might be cooperation between some groups but not like
as much as between the organized crime groups overseas," he said.

For instance, he said, gangs of vehicle thieves would never
want to work alone due to the high risk. "Therefore, police
always stumble upon a huge number of vehicles and suspects in a
single raid," he said.

Even pickpockets today try to work in teams, he reminded.

Due to the small number of the police officers all over the
country, he asked for the public's participation.

Today, he said, there are still great possibilities for
organized crime groups to operate here although "they might only
have small business profits here."

"If the organized crime groups can easily operate in advanced
countries, such as the United States, Italy and Japan, they could
easily operate in a country like Indonesia," he said.

Earlier in October, the Jakarta police declared war against
the growing number of gangsters and racketeers whose methods of
operation are already similar to those used by notorious
organized crime groups in foreign countries.

"Real organized crime has yet to be found in the city, but we
have uncovered a growing number of people and gangs who commit
crimes using modus operandi similar to those adopted by foreign
organized crime syndicates," Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen.
Mochammad Hindarto said.

These business, Hindarto said, are mostly run illegally can
range from gambling, prostitution and extortion to drug dealing.
They usually operated with the cover of legitimate businesses and
use various types of scare tactics, including kidnapping.

"There's no place for them in the city and we have to take
immediate action to stop these people before the problem grows
uncontrollably."

In Naples, Italy, last month, UN Secretary-General Boutros
Boutros-Ghali branded organized crime as a threat to democracy
and urged governments all over the world to join forces in the
fight.

Opening a three-day ministerial conference on cross-border
crime, he told delegates from 138 countries that the tentacles of
"multinational crimes" had spread across the globe.

"(It) poisons the business climate, corrupts political leaders
and undermines human rights," Boutros-Ghali said. (bsr)