Security men involved in illicit businesses

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

It is no longer a secret that many police and military officers are involved in illicit businesses in many cities and towns across the country, and that would apparently include Tangerang.

The "businesses" are thriving thanks to the "protection" of corrupt officers even though the activities are against the law, they are sworn to uphold.

Interviewed by The Jakarta Post separately over the weekend, employees of some massage and sauna parlors which allegedly offer prostitution, admitted that they are backed by the military and police.

A woman who works at the Bugar Garden massage parlor in the Green Garden shop complex near the Serpong highway exit, on Jl. Raya Serpong, said that her boss was backed by a high-ranking city police officer.

"Besides that, this parlor is also protected by an officer from the Cipondoh subprecinct police, who is responsible for daily security," Anita, not her real name, told the Post.

She added that an army officer, also her relative, also backed the establishment.

She said she did not know the amount of money spent each month to pay the officers for their "protection", saying that it was her boss' business.

She was also quite sure that to maintain the one-year-old business, her boss had to have "a close relationship" with the Tangerang municipal public order and tourism agency officials.

Anita said that the parlor, employing dozens of young masseuses, was not exactly a brothel, as she explained that if customers wished to have sex with one of the girls, they simply had to negotiate a date with one of them and go out.

One employee with the Graha Sehat Family Health Massage parlor in the Lippo Pinangsia office complex in Karawaci also admitted that the parlor was protected by policemen and military officers.

He said that the establishment, which employs nine young attractive women, was backed by a middle-ranking officer from the city police headquarters.

The employee, who requested anonymity, said that the parlor's daily security was handled by a policemen from the Jatiuwung police station and an army officer.

Similarly, an employee at Dongne Sauna, a parlor belonging to a Korean man, said the business was backed by police and army officers.

The parlor, employing seven young women, is also located in the same complex.

"Luckily, since this parlor opened in 1999, there has not been any significant security disturbances as officers from the Jatiuwung police, armed with their weapons, patrol this area every night," he said.

Graha Sehat, as well as Dongne Sauna, regularly give Rp 100,000 to the Jatiuwung policemen for their "monthly service" in maintaining security and order, according to the employees.

Jenny, who runs the Prima Sehat parlor in the Lippo Pinangsia office complex, however, said that her business was not backed by any policemen or military officers.

"Many parlors here hire policemen and military officers to protect them because they do illegal stuff," she said, referring mainly to prostitution.

She said that her parlor was legitimate, and only employed trained, professional masseurs, four male employees offering reflexive massage and seven middle-aged women who were traditional massage experts, and that it, therefore, did not require any protection from the police or military.

Meanwhile, the Tangerang police detective chief Insp. Kustanto claimed that none of his officers had such side jobs to protect nightspots or any other illegal business, but added that stern sanctions would be given to any found to be doing such things.

"To my knowledge, none of officers here back illegal business, but I don't know if they personally or secretly do so " he told the Post.