Scandalous merchandise seized
Scandalous merchandise seized
JAKARTA (JP): City police have seized 3,465 calendars and
1,000 postcards depicting scantily dressed women, in a series of
raids launched late last week.
Capt. Ronny F. Sompie, head of the Gambling and Social Affairs
Unit of the City Police Crime Investigation Directorate, told
reporters yesterday that the evidence had been confiscated and
eight sellers and two distributors are being questioned.
The series of raids were carried out in several areas
throughout the city, such as from a sidewalk trader in the Blok M
shopping area and at the traffic lights on Jl. Pattimura in South
Jakarta and around the Pasar Pagi market in West Jakarta, he
said.
Based on preliminary questioning, the calendars and postcards
were printed by three different companies, identified only as PT
K and PT GK in Surabaya, East Java, and PT AO in Jakarta.
The 3,465 confiscated calendars consisted of 3,350 wall
calendars and 115 desk calendars.
The calendars were being peddled at traffic lights for Rp
15,000 (US$6.90) each and were flaunted for all to see.
Ronny said the posters featured half-naked females.
"The pictures in the calendars could encourage people,
particularly teenagers, to become sexually active," Ronny said.
The ten suspects being held for questioning, if found guilty
of inciting public unrest, may face a maximum jail term of two
years and eight months or a fine of Rp 45,000 (US$20.60). Due to
the light term, none of them are being detained but their cases
will be tried soon, Ronny said.
According to the police, the pictures, some of which are of
local artists, are too suggestive to be displayed as the models
are scantily dressed in underwear and swimsuits and are in
provocative poses.
Some of the local artists featured in the calendars are Ayu
Yohana, Tofana Dewi, Windi Cindyana, Anna Istiana, Linda and
Malfin.
According to Ronny, the distributors of the calendars and the
posters ordered the merchandise from the printing companies based
on market demand.
"Each printing company has a thick catalog showing a wide
range of poses for the distributors to choose for their calendars
and posters," he said. (bsr)