Railway authority seize 1060 fake tickets

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Official at PT KAI, that manages the railway operation here, said on Thursday that the company had arrested three suspects and confiscated 1060 fake tickets at a railway station in Kutoarjo, about 100 kilometers east of the city.

The fraud was firstly known by a ticket checking-staff when he and security staffs on their duty checking the passengers' tickets.

"The staffs knew it and later investigated the fake-ticket network and finally seized more than 1000 fake tickets," said Supriyadi, the company's spokesman.

He said those tickets were supposed to be sold for passengers of the economic class for Sawunggalih-Kutoarjo destination.

Supriyadi said so far the staffs only found fake tickets of the economic class, not the executive class.

He added his office had also improved alertness over the increasing number of passengers that bring no ticket.

"We organize routine operation on Sunday night. We are concerned over the increasing number of illegal passengers," he added.

Supriyadi revealed that several of these illegal passengers were security officers. "We find this condition as an obstacle. We try to enforce the law, but they say they have no money," he said.

Ten percent of those illegal passengers are security forces from Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police.

"We suffer losses. Ten intruders of an executive class will cause more than Rp1 million losses," he said. It is estimated that of the 1000 passengers, 100 of them are intruders. (45/08)