Two Cameroon nationals arrested for swindle
Two Cameroon nationals arrested for swindle
JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta Police detectives arrested two
Cameroon nationals Friday night at the Dai-Ichi Hotel in Central
Jakarta for allegedly swindling a local of US$4,000.
The head of the Central Jakarta Police detective unit, Capt.
Budiono S., said Saturday that Ekango Samuel, 33, and Michael
Yenju, 23, had fooled South Jakartan Gembong TS by telling him
they could duplicate greenbacks up to 10 times in a matter of
seconds.
The officer quoted Gembong as saying that he was told by the
two suspects from Douala city in Cameroon to visit them at the
hotel to settle a business transaction.
"Gembong and the Cameroonians already knew each other as
businessmen," Budiono said but gave no further explanation.
Based on the invitation, Gembong -- accompanied by a friend
Mulyani, 28 -- met the two at their hotel Friday afternoon, he
said.
During the meeting, the two foreigners assured Gembong that
they could duplicate American dollars just by bonding carbon
paper to the notes already smeared with a certain chemical
liquid.
After giving the brief explanation, the two then simply asked
their victim to hand over all the dollars he had.
"I was made to believe their extraordinary skills. I just gave
them all the dollars I had with me," Gembong later told police
investigators.
According to Gembong, after putting the carbon paper on the
victim's dollars, Samuel and Yenju then asked him to fetch some
water to use to clean the chemicals.
However, the whole process had been completed when he returned
to the room with his "money" wrapped in an envelope, Budiono
said.
The officer did not disclose the whereabouts of Mulyani at the
time.
The Cameroonians then gave the envelope to Gembong and warned
him not to open it until the next day.
On arriving at his home on Jl. Bangka II Pela in South
Jakarta, Gembong was surprised when he found only pieces of black
paper in the envelope.
He immediately reported the case to the police.
Budiono said that the Cameroonians did not attempt to resist
arrest.
After examining their hotel room, police found Gembong's
$4,000 hidden in the bathroom ceiling.
The police also seized material evidence, such as the
chemicals and the accompanying equipment, white powder and pieces
of black paper.
It is unclear why Gembong trusted the foreigners but he said
that he might have been hypnotized.
Last month, the Central Jakarta police detectives arrested a
35-year-old Italian for allegedly passing off counterfeit
American dollars to a local trader.
Rio persuaded his victim, Liem, 30, by saying that he was
willing to change Liem's $1,000 with his $5,000 without any
troublesome procedures.
A few minutes later, Liem realized that he had exchanged his
money for bogus notes. (ivy)