Watching Out For Wi-Fi

Indonesian police are suspicious of hot spots

The Jakarta Globe reports that Indonesian police are keeping a close eye on football fans gathering to watch World Cup matches in wi-fi-enabled bars and cafes.

Police suspect that the intent is to gamble on the games, using internet websites.

“Why else would cafes or clubs provide wi-fi, asked one detective chief? “Why do their customers have laptops while watching the game?”

Surabaya police arrested four men allegedly acting as bookmakers for an online betting ring accepting wagers on the matches, a spokesman subsequently revealed. The four suspects had around 20 agents working for them collecting bets from people.

Police are currently searching for the ring leader, and said the agents accepted bets ranging from Rp 500,000 to Rp 2 million ($55 to $220), receiving a 15 percent to 20 percent commission on each wager.

“Each day, they collect a total of between Rp 200 million and Rp 500 million. So imagine their earnings in a month,” officers investigating the ring said.