Three police officers arrested for extorting Japanese tourist

Abdul Khalik and Eva C. Komandjaja The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Three police officers, including one police commissioner, were arrested on Monday evening for allegedly extorting money totaling Rp 64 million (US$6,747) from a Japanese businessman last week.

The three, two from the National Police Headquarters identified only by their initials as Comr. "JS" and Second Insp. "M", and Jakarta Police officer Second Brig. "B", were now being detained at the South Jakarta Police precinct.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Aryanto Boedihardjo, who agreed to be identified, said on Wednesday that the three would be charged with the extortion of a Japanese citizen identified only by one name, Hidiyaki, 56, in Tebet, South Jakarta on Friday.

"We are now detaining them ... in order to question them intensively," Aryanto said.

The three police officers went to the rented house of Hidiyaki's friend Neneng Asiah, 22, in Tebet. At the house they spotted Hidiyaki and asked Neneng why a foreigner was in her house and whether Hidiyaki had a permit to stay in Indonesia.

Aryanto said it was unclear whether Hidiyaki, who had spent several nights in Neneng's house, could not show his immigration document or had overstayed his visa.

The three officers then threatened Hidiyaki with jail unless he paid them Rp 100 million immediately.

However, Neneng and Hidiyaki had only Rp 30 million and 400,000 yen (Rp 34 million), and the officers forced the two to get into their car, and took the pair to a foreign exchange agency to change the yen. They also stopped at the Jakarta Police station to show Hidiyaki they were really policemen.

The three officers later took Rp 64 million from the two and dropped them on Jl. Blok S in South Jakarta.

The following day, Hidiyaki, accompanied by Neneng, reported the incident to city police headquarters.

"After investigating the case we managed to identify the three officers, and apprehended them immediately. This is to show the people that we don't tolerate any abuse of power and misconduct in the police," city police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said.

The officers would be punished severely if found guilty, Tjiptono said.