Two nabbed for producing, distributing pornography
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)