Auto-theft ring apprehended

JAKARTA: Pamulang Police revealed on Friday they had arrested six men suspected of belonging to auto theft groups operating in the area.

Five suspects, identified as Supriyadi, Musonif, Andriansyah, Pei Permana and Usup, apparently belong Lebak I, Lebak II and Lebak III groups. The three groups are connected.

The sixth, Supriyatna, is reportedly a member of a separate group called the Bogor group.

The arrest of Supriyadi and Musonif led to the arrest of Andriansyah, Pei Permana and Usup, the police said.

The police are looking for 17 other suspects of the network, seven of them allegedly the buyers of the stolen vehicles.

These groups stole cars or motorcycles parked on streets or on private premises. To gain entry to houses, they used bolt cutters to cut the padlocks.--JP