Sweep nets illegals, beggars and prostitutes

Sweep nets illegals, beggars and prostitutes

JAKARTA (JP): In a bid to improve law and order in the city,
the Central Jakarta mayoralty conducted a sweep of illegal
immigrants, street hawkers, beggars and prostitutes early
Wednesday morning.

Twenty-three nationals of Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon and Guinea
and one Mexican residing in the Tanah Abang area were detained by
immigration officials, who participated in the operation to
search for foreigners overstaying their visas.

More than 200 street hawkers and 35 prostitutes were also
netted in the National Monument (Monas) area. They will be sent
to a rehabilitation center in Kedoya, West Jakarta.

Ten of the foreigners were released after presenting their
passports, with the rest to be sent to the immigration quarantine
facility in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, for further questioning.

Overstay

According to the head of the Central Jakarta immigration
office, M. Jailani, the operation was conducted to find
overstaying foreigners, many of whom stay in cheap hotels in
Tanah Abang.

The operation was spurred by public complaints about
foreigners, many of whom are allegedly involved in drug
trafficking, money laundering and illegal trading.

Since Dec. 3, the immigration office has monitored the
activities of African nationals living in Tanah Abang and
conducted several operations. The office caught 30 people in
January.

Jailani said his office would launch periodic crackdowns on
illegal immigrants as a deterrent.

During Wednesday's crackdown, mayoralty officials caught
hundreds of beggars and street hawkers at Istiqlal Grand Mosque
and its compound who lacked identification cards.

According to a mosque official, hundreds of homeless people
often sleep on the ground floor. "They are not a threat, but
their presence is an eyesore," he said.
(06)