Ten arrested over lottery ticket sales

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police arrested 10 people, including four teenagers, in Central Jakarta on Thursday for allegedly selling Singaporean lottery coupons, locally known as judi buntut.

The arrests were made during an afternoon raid of a shop, where police also confiscated 160 coupon books, 10 calculators and Rp 4.48 million (US$598) in cash, city police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Saturday.

He identified the arrested as Temmy, alias A Tiam, 35, and Susanto, alias Santo, 43, who owned the shop on Jl. Kramat Raya. Also arrested were shop employees Koman, 26; Rudy, 30; Liyanny, 27; Lusi, 25; Febyanto, 14; Suzana, 16; Sellyana, 16; and Fani, 16.

According to preliminary questioning, the shop had been in operation for almost one year and the owners said they took in up to Rp 40 million each week from selling the lottery coupons.

Police said the two shop owners would be charged under Article 303 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail or a fine of Rp 25 million ($3,571).

The employees will be questioned and charged under different articles depending on their involvement in the gambling business, Lubis said.

All the suspects are being detained at city police headquarters and are still undergoing questioning.

Judi buntut is the most popular game among gamblers in many towns and villages across the country.

Gamblers place bets on two or four numbers, with the winning numbers announced every two to three days by gambling operators. Sources say the number of such operators has mushroomed in recent months.

The minimum bet is Rp 1,000. If bettors match two numbers they win 60 times their original bet. If four numbers are matched the payout is 250 times the original bet. Winning numbers are based on numbers from gambling operators in Singapore. (emf)