11 people held for car thefts

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta police detectives have arrested 10 men and a woman believed to be members of one of the most notorious car-theft syndicates in the city.

"From them we seized 17 vehicles, including 14 Toyota Kijang minivans, a BMW sedan and other cars," Central Jakarta police chief, Lt. Col. Abubakar Nataprawira, told reporters here yesterday.

According to Abubakar, the syndicate was allegedly made up of one thief, five fencers and five forgers, who prepared fake documents for the stolen vehicles.

"They sold their stolen property with the fake documents at almost half the market price," said Abubakar.

In the last few years, the police have recorded alarming rates of vehicle theft in and around the city. Data shows that an average of 84 cars and 286 motorcycles were allegedly stolen here each month for the first six months of this year.

The figures have inspired PT Indomutiara Mandiri to offer a satellite alarm system which it says could prevent car theft.

"By calling the computerized operator and describing a secret code, the owner can turn off the engine of his stolen car," Karja Rahardjo, an executive of the firm, said here yesterday.

Under the system, a car's alarm and beam lights would automatically turn on to attract passers-by and make thieves run away, he said.

Adapted from the Posse alarm system which was developed in the United States, the system costs around Rp 850,000 initially with an annual fee of Rp 125,000. (bsr)