Two arrested for extortion

JAKARTA (JP): Two high school students were arrested on Saturday for allegedly extorting money from Metromini bus passengers in the Pasar Minggu area, a South Jakarta Police spokesman said.

The head of the Pasar Minggu police station, Capt. Arief S., said the two, identified only as Gun and Rus, were arrested by a plainclothes officer while they were extorting money from five junior high school students on the bus plying the Ragunan-Blok M route.

"The policeman confiscated Rp 7,500 (68 U.S. cents) in cash from the two suspects," Arief was quoted by Antara as saying.

He explained that the arrest was made following an increase in plainclothes patrols on public transport vehicles over the last two weeks in anticipation of an increase in crimes targeting passengers. (hhr)