Car buyers should verify papers with City Police

JAKARTA (JP): Police suggested yesterday that people planning to buy used vehicles should verify documents first with police headquarters to avoid any trouble.

City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said that checking was important to ensure documents of cars or motorcycles they wanted to buy were legal.

"People should check vehicle documents to make sure they don't buy stolen cars," Aritonang said.

"Some stolen cars are often modified to make it difficult for police to trace them. Some criminals even change the color of the vehicles, and sometimes change the cars' chassis and engine numbers," Aritonang said.

He said that at least two or three vehicles were reported stolen each day in Jakarta.

"Most stolen vehicles are motorbikes. Both stolen cars and motorbikes, after being modified, are usually sold in suburban areas," Aritonang said.

A City Police semiannual report issued in June last year showed that an average of nine motorcycles and three cars were stolen each day.

According to the report, vehicle theft during the first six months of last year included 1,715 motorcycles, and 503 cars and three-wheeled vehicles.

Aritonang reiterated that customers should check on vehicles they wanted to buy by bringing a copy of the vehicle registration, or STNK, to the Directorate of Street and Traffic at City Police Headquarters.

"The police will verify the vehicle's status for you. If everything checks out, they will issue a notice saying that both the car, or motorbike, and the document are legal and genuine," Aritonang said.

There was a reasonable fee to cover the cost in printing the document, Aritonang said, and the process for obtaining the notice would take two or three days.

Aritonang said that checking documents could ensure both used car owners and wanna-be owners that cars were not involved in bad credit or leasing cases.

He also called on vehicle repair workshops and showrooms to help anticipate the selling of stolen vehicles by reporting any peculiar things regarding vehicles or their owners to police.

"Please, report to us if there are any customers who ask for their cars to be modified beyond conventional means. Also beware of someone who sells cars or motorbikes at very low prices," Aritonang said.

"To avoid your vehicle from being stolen, equip it with security devices. And please, park your vehicles in safe and, whenever possible, secure parking places," he said.

When questioned about vehicle thefts occurring even at secured parking areas, Aritonang just smiled. (cst)