BATAMCLICK – Serang, Banten – The Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimum) of the Banten Police has arrested 14 individuals involved in a counterfeit currency circulation case, identified as part of a cross-province syndicate operating between Banten and West Java. This syndicate has been active for more than a year.
Kombes Pol Dian Setyawan, Director of Criminal Investigation for the Banten Police, explained that the suspects come from the Banten and West Java regions. “They have been operating for about a year,” Dian said in Serang on Thursday.
Dian also revealed that one of the suspects, AM (45), is a recidivist who was previously incarcerated by Polda Metro Jaya in 2014 for the same offense. AM served as the counterfeiter in this case, having learned the trade from an associate currently undergoing legal proceedings in a prison in Jakarta.
In addition to AM, Polda Banten apprehended several other members of the syndicate, including ZL (48), DS (51), TS (63), IS (51), WR (51), EN (56), WS (48), EK (53), ES (60), HM (53), DR (66), ED (58), and AS (59).
The arrests stemmed from a report on the sale of counterfeit currency on Sunday, January 19, at KFC Citra Raya Cikupa, Tangerang Regency. Authorities grew suspicious of ZL, who was carrying counterfeit currency worth Rp15 million in Rp100,000 denominations. ZL admitted that the money was obtained from DS and AS in the Bandung area. The investigation then expanded, leading to the capture of additional syndicate members.
Dian explained the modus operandi of the syndicate, which involved offering counterfeit money to victims in exchange for genuine currency. The victims would receive four times the value of the original money in counterfeit bills.
Police successfully seized several pieces of evidence, including 1,600 sheets of counterfeit rupiah, 1,034 sheets of counterfeit $100 US bills, and 200 sheets of counterfeit 5,000 Brazilian Real bills.
The suspects now face charges under Article 244 and Article 245 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) and Article 26 Jo Article 36 of Law No. 7 of 2011 on Currency, carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp50 billion.
Ameriza M Moesa, Head of the Bank Indonesia Representative Office in Banten Province, praised the Banten Police’s success in uncovering the counterfeit currency circulation crime. “We thank the Banten Police for their success in combating counterfeit currency,” he stated.
“This success demonstrates the Banten Police’s quick response in enforcing the law against the circulation of counterfeit currency in the Banten area,” Ameriza added.
Sumber: Antara
