Fraud Masquerading As Massage In Banyuasin Exposed, Victims Asked To Eat Salt And Jasmine Flowers To Get Pregnant Quickly

PALEMBANG - Police officers from the Talang Kelapa sector, Banyuasin, South Sumatra, uncovered fraud under the guise of massage for pregnancy with the number of victims estimated at hundreds of women in the area.

The fake pregnancy massage practice operates in Permata Residence Housing, Pangkalan Benteng Village, Talang Kelapa District, Banyuasin.

The head of the Talang Kelapa Police, Kompol Sigit Agung Susilo, said that the disclosure of the practice began with complaints from people who claimed to be victims of fraud.

From the complaint, further development was carried out by personnel from the Talang Kelapa Police Criminal Investigation Unit.

With information from the complaint, the personnel managed to apprehend three perpetrators who carried out the practice of fake pregnancy massage on Monday (28/3).

The three perpetrators were women with the initials S (50), MAM and DI.

According to Kompol Sigit, based on the confession of the perpetrators, they have been practicing the mode as a place for alternative medicine/traditional massage for the last three years.

"The perpetrators claimed that they could make their patients get pregnant quickly, by massaging them several times at their place while suggesting the patient to consume three grains of salt, jasmine flowers and mineral water," he said as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, March 30.

After the patient had massaged several times, he said, the perpetrators of S and MAM took the patient's urine to be tested using a pregnancy test kit.

Then the perpetrator stated that the patient was positively pregnant and asked him to consult with the DI actor who claimed to be a midwife to be more convincing.

"Because it was positive to be pregnant, the perpetrator asked for some money in return on the condition that the patient was prohibited from having her womb checked by a doctor or other place," he added.

According to Sigit, the perpetrator's modus operandi was uncovered after the patient checked her womb to the doctor and found that they were not pregnant, and then reported the incident to the Talang Kelapa Police Headquarters.

"Based on the perpetrator's confession, it turns out that they manipulated the patient's pregnancy test. Currently they have been secured for further examination, it is estimated that hundreds of people have become victims of fraud by the perpetrators," he said.