6 Perpetrators Of Online Prostitution In Manokwari Papua Use Michat Arrested By Police

The Manokwari Police managed to secure six online prostitution perpetrators from two hotels in the Manokwari area, West Papua, Monday. (ANTARA/Fransiskus Salu Weking)

MANOKWARI - Manokwari City Police (Polresta), West Papua arrested six perpetrators of online prostitution through the Michat application.

They have the initials M (43), N (23), EO (28), K (27), AP (22), and SJ (18).

"Of the six suspects, there are five women who sell prostitution services and one man who uses these services," said Deputy Chief of Manokwari Police Commissioner Agustina Sineri in Manokwari, Monday, September 25, as reported by Antara.

Agustina explained that six perpetrators were arrested from two different hotels during a surprise inspection on Monday, September 25 at around 00.00 WIT.

According to him, there were three perpetrators who were first arrested during a surprise inspection, namely M, N, and EO.

After that, the police again searched the second hotel and arrested the perpetrators K, AP, and SJ as users of online prostitution services.

In addition to the six perpetrators, the police also confiscated a number of evidences in the form of ten cellphones, wallets, condoms, and cash proceeds from the sale of online prostitution services amounting to Rp4.7 million.

"Our perpetrators are ensnared by Article 296 of the Criminal Code and or Article 45 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 27 paragraph (1) of Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning ITE," said Agustina.

He explained that the police are committed to eradicating online prostitution practices which are increasingly troubling because many online portion service users are the younger generation in the Manokwari area.

Therefore, sudden inspections will be carried out regularly to a number of inns and hotels to prevent the rise of online prostitution practices.

"We urge all people to be wiser in using the available applications. Parents must also supervise the use of children's cellphones," said Agustina.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Manokwari Police, Adjunct Commissioner of Police Nirwan Fakaubun, added that from the results of the examination, the five perpetrators admitted that the practice of online prostitution had been going on for almost two months at the two hotels in question.

Thus, the police will conduct an examination of the hotel to find out the motive for using the rooms by the five perpetrators when offering online prostitution services to customers.

"We will check the hotel to find out how the hotel room use system is, whether it is rented like other public guests or what," said Nirwan.

He said that the five sellers of online prostitution services that had been secured came from North Sulawesi and West Java, so the purpose of existence in Manokwari is still being investigated.

There have been three cases of online prostitution that have been successfully uncovered by the Manokwari Police in recent years, so the police need an active role for the community to provide reports regarding the existence of this practice.

"The investigation is still ongoing, we will explore what their destination is for Manokwari," said Nirwan Fakaubun.