Dodgy chauffeurs take employers for a ride

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

If car owners think they can sit back and relax after paying someone to chauffeur them around, they might need to think again as an auto theft syndicate has deployed a new method of making off with their vehicles.

City police said on Friday that they had recently arrested four syndicate members who had gained employment as chauffeurs in the capital but absconded with their bosses' cars after one or two weeks of working.

City police General Crimes Unit chief Sr. Comr. Mathius Salempang said that the four were from outside of the capital, and used fake Jakarta identity cards in order to secure employment as drivers in the city.

"We have detained the suspects, and have recovered 10 stolen cars from them. They have admitted that they come from Central and West Java, and were recruited by a gang specializing in stealing cars," said Mathius.

The syndicate would provide its new recruits with identity cards and driving licenses once they arrived in Jakarta, he added.

"They use fake addresses so that the police will not be able to track them down," said Mathius.

It is common knowledge that a Jakarta ID card can be had within the space of one week for between Rp 100,000 and Rp 200,000.

With an identity card in hand, it is easy to get a driving license without having to sit the test if one is willing to pay more than the normal fee, which is only around Rp 150,000.

After getting IDs and driving licenses for their men, the syndicate would then seek out prospective employers through newspaper ads and by way of word of mouth, Mathius said.

It is not difficult to find car owners that need drivers in Jakarta as according to figures from the city police there are around 4.5 million cars on the city's roads, with between 300 and 500 new private cars being registered every day.

Mathius said that police believed that dozens of bogus drivers could have gained employment in this way, and were now only waiting for the chance to make off with their employers' cars.

"With the information we have obtained from the suspects, we are now trying to locate the remaining gang members, including the leaders ...", he said.

Mathius warned car owners to be careful when employing new drivers.

"They need to carefully check the identity and address of the applicant. If the address on the ID card doesn't match the real address, the car owner should contact the police," he said.

Mathius also advised prospective purchasers of used cars to check out registration documents and engine serial numbers with police headquarters to make sure they were not buying stolen vehicles.

He also said that car owners should insure their vehicles against theft.