Ex-police chief suspect in criminal case

Ex-police chief suspect in criminal case

JAKARTA: Former city police chief Comr. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb is
among a group of top officers suspected of being involved in the
smuggling of luxury cars.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Thursday the
matter was being investigated by a team led by the inspector
general of the National Police, Comr. Gen. Ahwil Luthan, Antara
reported.

Sofjan, who was the city police chief from May to December
2001, allegedly was involved in the smuggling ring last year,
when he was the chief of the South Sulawesi Police. He is also
suspected of issuing forged documents for the 11 Mercedes Benz
vehicles.

Three of the cars were recently confiscated in Jakarta and two
in West Java. It is not known where the remaining vehicles are.

The sticker prices of the vehicles range between US$70,000 and
$120,000. All of the vehicles were smuggled into Indonesia
through a seaport in the eastern part of the country, before
being shipped to Jakarta's Tanjung Priok Port.

Sofjan is currently posted at the National Defense Institute.
--JP