Four arrested from car theft

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)