A Raticate can be seen in the foreground near the police during a gameplay of Pokemon Go. (Photo : Getty Images/Olivia Harris)
A Frenchman who was playing Pokemon Go has been detained by the Indonesian police after trespassing on a military base.
Romain Pierre, 27, inadvertently entered a military complex in Cirebon because he was trying to catch Pokemon in the location. He was caught on Monday at a checkpoint when he ran away while being confronted by the security guards.
A few hours later, Pierre was released because he was only jogging and playing the game when he wandered off to the security complex, The Washington Post quoted Col. Yusri Yunus as saying this Tuesday. The incident was apparently accidental according to him.
Pierre was only visiting Cirebon when he was caught, as he is originally working for a company in Jakarta. Ironically, the game has not yet been officially released in Indonesia, so Pierre had illegally downloaded the game.
There have been officials stating that the game might pose a security threat to military complexes. There is a potential chance for spies to use the game in order to get inside military complexes easily. This worries the police that their enemies might use this as a weapon to get into their bases.
With this example of a random stranger being caught after unwittingly entering the military grounds, other people might make use of this to interrupt military operations. However, the governor of Jakarta said that the game might probably have its own good effects, such as boosting tourism.
The aforementioned security threat was due to players and officials playing the game in the presidential palace grounds. Because of this, Indonesia will be banning police officials from playing the game while on duty, and that the palace grounds will be banned as a location for players and officials alike to catch Pokemon, according to a report by The Daily Mail.
The immense popularity of Pokemon Go has caused two opposing sides to debate the game's benefits (e.g. forcing people to go outside their homes) and disadvantages (e.g. accidents, car crashes, and crimes). Whether or not it has brought damage or progress, the game still continues to be the most played game today.
