Suspect preying on tourists arrested on extortion charges

Suspect preying on tourists arrested on extortion charges

JAKARTA (JP): City police have arrested a 24-year-old man
alleged to have extorted money and precious goods from foreigners
and tourists staying at exclusive hotels.

Head of the Operational Affairs of the On-the-Alert City
Police Squad, Capt. Syaiful Bd., said on Saturday that the
suspect, who always wore a tie during his modus operandi, was
identified as Faruch bin Rosid Ridho, a resident of Jl. Pajar
Baru Raya 45, Cengkareng, East Jakarta.

The suspect, alleged to have been carrying out his modus
operandi over the last four years, is now being detained for
further questioning at the City Crime Investigation Directorate.

Syaiful said the police are still facing problems in
investigating the case because, to date, no reports have been
submitted to police by any victims of the extortionist.

"We arrest him based on information available about his
criminal activities," he said.

Faruch was nabbed last week during a daily security operation
of the On-the-Alert Squad near Hotel Indonesia in Central
Jakarta.

The suspect is alleged to have extorted money from his victims
at knife point. Police said most of his victims are foreigners
staying in nearby hotels, such as the Mandarin Hotel, President
Hotel and Grand Hyatt Hotel.

City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto told The
Jakarta Post on Friday that executives of the Japan Club, in the
city, had come to see him, asking police to protect them against
extortionists.

"The club, with a membership of 10,000 Japanese, complained
that a great number of Japanese people have become the targets of
extortion," Hindarto said.

Hindarto said that he had instructed his men to act swiftly
against these extortionists.(bsr)