JAKARTA: The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Thursday seven impostors claiming to be high-ranking state officials from the office of the vice president.

The impostors' victims included foreigners, officials and the public in general with losses of hundreds of millions of rupiah.

"The KPK received reports from two foreigners about two weeks ago who were asked for money by someone who claimed to be staff at the vice president's secretariat," KPK spokesman Johan Budi S.P. told a press conference.

"By chance, the two foreigners had (previously) been to the vice presidential office."

Upon receiving the reports, KPK investigators traced the impostors through cell phone numbers provided by the foreigners.

"After some investigation, we arrested the group on Thursday just before 8 p.m. at a house in the Maharaja housing complex in Pancoran Mas, Depok," Johan said.

"We will hand them over to the police on Friday because none of them are state officials." -- JP