Two nabbed for producing, distributing pornography
JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested two men for allegedly producing and distributing pornographic material.
Police seized 32,070 items, ranging from video CDs, videotapes, magazines, books and gambling cards, from the men and their alleged agents at Pasar Senen in Central Jakarta, City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday.
The two suspects were identified as Parno Jaya Sutikno, the alleged distributor, and Sahat Sihombing, the alleged owner of a printing house used to publish and copy the porn material.
According to Aritonang, Parno was nabbed at Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta Saturday and Sahat at his printing house on Jl. Palmerah 4, West Jakarta on Monday.
Sahat's printing house was now being temporarily closed for further investigation.
Aritonang said the Pasar Senen agents, who number less than 10, would not be detained but only named as witnesses in the case.
"Everything is still being investigated and we hope more 'fish' will be caught," he said.
The items confiscated from the dealers' shops in the Senen shopping and business area included 16,000 books, 8,000 color magazines, 5,000 packs of cards, 3,000 Playboy magazines, 36 videotapes and 35 video CDs.
The source of the Playboy magazines, videotapes and video CDs remains unclear, but it is strongly believed the items were purchased by a suspect from a third party, who brought them from overseas.
Aritonang said police estimate the illegal goods have a street value of millions of rupiah.
On the black market here, pornographic videotapes, for instance, are sold for between Rp 15,000 (US$5.60) and Rp 30,000 each, books between Rp 1,000 and Rp 5,000 each and Playboy for Rp 25,000 each.
Teenage buffs
During police questioning, Parno confessed to supplying the products to book dealers in some areas, particularly Senen.
"He said most of the buyers are teenagers," Aritonang said.
Aritonang quoted Sahat as saying that he often copied and printed imported pornographic products, including gambling cards and picture books, in his printing house and distributed them to dealers throughout the city.
Indonesia bans pornography but sex books, toys and gadgets can still be easily found at many camouflaged shops here and in other big cities.
Aritonang said the two had violated Article 282 of the Criminal Code for publishing and distributing pornographic stories or pictures.
If found guilty, they could face a maximum penalty of two years eight months in jail or a Rp 5,000 fine.
Earlier in March, police confiscated 658 pornographic LD and CD videos and arrested 46 people in simultaneous raids on video rental shops in Glodok, Central Jakarta and Mangga Dua and Roxy in West Jakarta.
Among the confiscated evidence were 473 compact discs, 175 laser discs, 20 TV sets, one computer and Rp 413,000 in cash. (cst)