Uniform swindler arrested

Uniform swindler arrested

JAKARTA (JP): A 31-year-old man who has pocketed at least Rp 6.75 million (US$2,930) through pretending to be a police lieutenant came face to face with real officers yesterday.

Romi Romeo, 31, the phony lieutenant, was picked up at his house at the Kampung Bendungan Melayu at Rawa Badak in North Jakarta yesterday morning, following complaints from his victims, City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said.

Iman said the unemployed man is suspected of cheating at least four people, who hoped he could help their relatives to pass the enrollment test currently being held by a police school.

"During his operation, Romi introduced himself as 2nd Lieutenant Barkah from the National Police Headquarters," Iman said.

"Wearing a complete uniform, the bogus officer showed his potential victims a police identity card and other items, such as a gun and a police seal," he said. The identity card was later found to be counterfeit, and the gun turned out to be a plastic toy.

His confidence game came to light when two of the victims reported the fraud to police several days ago, the spokesman said.

So far, only four people have claimed to have been cheated by the suspect, Iman said.

The four are an employee of a shipping company, from whom the suspect allegedly got Rp 2.5 million in cash, a primary school teacher (Rp 2.5 million), a North Jakarta resident (Rp 750,000) and a man from Subang, West Java (Rp 1 million). (bsr)