Four arrested from car theft

JAKARTA (JP): City Police detectives have arrested four of 10 members of a car theft syndicate operating across Java and Sulawesi, following two grueling months of investigation, City Police chief of detectives said on Monday.

Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo identified two of the four as 30- year-old Rachmad Lasimpala, alias Rudi, and 27-year-old Victor Theo Mangkey, both businessmen living on Jl. Cempaka Putih Tengah in Central Jakarta. They were arrested at their residence on Oct. 13.

"The third guy is 32-year-old businessman M. Sahan, who lives in Makassar, South Sulawesi, but was shot and arrested here on the campus of the Institute of the Public Administration Sciences (IIP) in Cilandak, South Jakarta, on Oct. 12. The fourth is Joko Haryadi, who lives in Bandung, and was caught also on the same day," Alex told reporters at the Tanjung Priok seaport.

The thieves had managed to ship at least 50 stolen cars to Bone, Makassar and Palopo in South Sulawesi via Tanjung Priok port.

Alex said South Sulawesi police detectives contacted him in August saying that they had managed to confiscate 22 of the 50 stolen cars, complete with fake permits, in Bone, Makassar and Palopo.

He said City Police detectives have been able to return 193 of the 398 cars, stolen earlier this year. (ylt)