Dashboard thieves arrested

TANGERANG (JP): Police arrested yesterday three men suspected of stealing car dashboards in an operation named Kilat Jaya on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Tangerang.

Tangerang police chief Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said police arrested Edy bin Abdul Rasyid, 35, Samsul Arifin, alias Safari, 33, and Jauhari, alias Alex, 18.

They were caught when police searched their van in a routine operation, he said.

"During preliminary interrogations, they admitted to having stolen dashboards 24 times in Tangerang and surrounding areas," Iman said.

Police seized a steel pair of hedge cutters, a sickle, a screwdriver, two dashboards and two master keys.

The suspects sold the dashboards at Asem Reges market, in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, he said.

"I sold the dashboard for Rp 80,000 (US$8.58) and Rp 110,000 each," suspect Samsul said.

Jauhari said he received only Rp 200,000 from a theft because he only drove the van.

A source said Jauhari's brother, an ABRI member, was involved in the thefts. (27/jun)