Barbie pieces worth Rp 5.2b reported stolen<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police detectives are investigating the
\ntheft of Barbie doll parts from PT Mattel Indonesia's factory in
\nCikarang, Bekasi.<\/p>\n
According to a police source, it is suspected some Rp 5.25
\nbillion (US$664,600) worth of the doll parts have been stolen
\nfrom the factory since 1992.<\/p>\n
"The police have just begun the investigation ... we suspect
\nthe stolen parts are sold to street vendors and peddlers, who
\nthen assemble them and sell the dolls at a greatly discounted
\nprice," the officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity,
\nsaid on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
"The alleged crime might have involved different groups of
\npeople inside and outside the factory, which employs some 7,000
\nworkers. So we have lots of work to do," the officer said.<\/p>\n
A complaint was filed at Jakarta Police Headquarters on Monday
\nby the security chief of PT Mattel Indonesia, Arty Rochwiyanto.<\/p>\n
Contacted on Wednesday, Arty said the company recently became
\naware of the thefts after learning that a number of its dolls
\nwere being sold on the streets of the capital by vendors.<\/p>\n
He said the dolls being sold on the street were assembled from
\nparts meant for different doll models.<\/p>\n
"A Ken doll, for example, has a different skin color for the
\ntorso, legs, arms and head. An (original) doll produced at our
\nplant would have the correct skin color for each body part," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
On the streets of the capital, company employees have seen one
\nof Mattel's doll models with white skin for the torso, instead of
\nthe official darker skin color, he added.<\/p>\n
He said the factory price of an authentic Ken doll was
\napproximately $7, or about Rp 54,500, while the street vendors
\nwere selling their fake Ken dolls for Rp 35,000 each.<\/p>\n
"The doll (parts) are usually stored in our factory's
\nwarehouse, but we are still not sure where and when the thefts
\nactually took place. I'm still waiting for the police to find out
\nsomething for us."<\/p>\n
The California-based Mattel Inc., one of the world's largest
\ntoy manufacturers, started producing and exporting Barbie dolls
\nfrom its Cikarang plant, some 40 kilometers east of here, in late
\n1992. (ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/barbie-pieces-worth-rp-52b-reported-stolen-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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