Children steal IMF mirrors

JAKARTA: International Monetary Fund (IMF) representative for Indonesia David Nellor had a pair of side-view mirrors from his Mercedes Benz E 240 stolen at the traffic circle on Jl. Sisingamangaraja in South Jakarta at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Nellors' driver Imam filed a report with police who managed to arrest the three suspected thieves -- all elementary school students.

"We arrested the suspects on Thursday at Ratu Plaza compound on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, near the crime scene," Adj. Sr. Comr. Supratiwi, head of Jakarta Police criminal investigation section responsible for teenagers, children and women, said Friday.

The children, who cannot be named due to their age, told police an adult thug from Ratu Plaza had ordered them to steal the mirrors.

"When our detectives took them to Ratu Plaza to identify the thug, they refused. They said that the thug had threatened to kill them if they named him to the police," Supratiwi said.

She said the three residents of Cakung, East Jakarta, were released because of their age.

"We are still hunting the thug though," she said.

Stealing mirrors from luxury cars is rampant in many intersections in the capital. A pair of the Mercedes-Benz E 240 side-view mirrors is worth Rp 2.8 million (US$330).

Nellor got his back. -- JP