Caught Playing Online Gambling, A Woman Who Sells Vegetables And A Motorcycle Taxi Driver In Kupang Is Threatened With A 10-year Sentence

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for Kupang City Police, AKP Hasri Djaha when giving a press statement to reporters in Kupang about the gambling case. (Antara/Kornelis Kaha)

JAKARTA - A vegetable seller who is also a housewife with the initials OK (42) and a motorcycle taxi driver namely JP (42) in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT) are threatened with ten years in prison after being caught playing online or online gambling.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for Kupang City Police, AKP. Hasri Djaha told reporters in Kupang, Sunday night, explaining that the suspects OK and JP were arrested separately by the Jatanras Team of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Kupang City Police on Saturday (20/8) afternoon while playing gambling.

"Both of them violated Article 303 of the Criminal Code with the threat of a 10-year prison sentence," he told Antara.

Hasri explained that the application of Article 303 of the Criminal Code is because the two online gambling suspects provide online gambling accounts which also provide facilities for other people to jointly practice gambling through accounts that are in their cell phones.

“So both of them when arrested were known to provide online gambling facilities for other people. So those who don't have an account on their cellphones can use their cellphones so they can play gambling together," he added.

The type of online gambling that is played is online lottery gambling, starting from white coupons online. The police also found evidence of online gambling transactions carried out by the two suspects.

The two suspects also said he was arrested at their respective homes on Saturday (20/8) yesterday at 14.30 WITA and 15.30 WITA in a gambling eradication operation being carried out by the Kupang City Police.

"Both are currently still undergoing detention for the next 20 days," he added.

Hasri said the Kupang City Police would continue to eradicate all gambling practices of any kind, whether online or on land, according to the orders of the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and the NTT Police Chief, Inspector General Pol. Setyo Budianto.

Previously, on Saturday (20/8), six online gambling suspects were arrested by the Kupang City Criminal Investigation Unit.

Apart from OK and JP, four other suspects were also arrested. the four people are JC (24), AU (27), DWMB (26) and JF (23).

Unlike OK and JP, the four suspects are Iyang. By profession as a city transportation driver, he is subject to Article 303 Bis with a penalty of four years in prison.

Kupang City Police Chief Kombes Pol Rishian Krisna B said he would not tolerate gambling players found in Kupang City.

He is also committed to not being indiscriminate as to who the perpetrators of gambling in the capital city of NTT province are.