"We took in 170 people from China and Taiwan at the request of the police in the two countries because they were suspects in investment scams through the internet," Sr Com Boy Rafli Amar, head of the National Police`s public information service, said here Friday.
Fraudulent activity through the internet was rife in China and Taiwan but many of the cases had become transnational because the perpetrators operated from other countries, including Indonesia, Boy said.
The swindlers presented themselves on the internet as companies offering investment-related services and thereby were able to get their victims send them money, he said.
In Indonesia, the fraudsters usually operated from big cities like Jakarta, and the 179 arrested foreigners resided at 10 locations in the Serpong, Bekasi and North Jakarta areas.
"Of the 170 arrested foreigners, 120 were men and the rest women," Boy said.
The Indonesian police were planning to deport the 170 Chinese and Taiwan people to their respective country, Boy said, adding that they were also suspected to have misused their visas for Indonesia. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
