Security men involved in illicit businesses

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.