Illegal Motorcycle Warehouse in South Jakarta Mistaken for Official Dealer

JAKARTA - A warehouse storing illegal motorcycles on Jalan Kemandoran VIII in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, was initially mistaken for a motorcycle dealership. This was revealed by a resident named Deni (not his real name), who works near the warehouse. Initially, Deni had no suspicions, even though he often saw large containers entering and exiting the warehouse in the early hours before dawn. Deni said that the sliding gate was usually always closed. The gate was only opened when a container or vehicle entered. He only recently learned that the place was actually housing goods obtained from criminal activities. He only knew that the place indeed stored many motorcycles. “Yesterday, there were police asking questions before the event here yesterday afternoon, ‘What is this place?’ So I answered ‘Motorcycle warehouse’,” he said. Another resident, Santi (not her real name), also admitted to being shocked upon learning about the illegal activities there. Warehouse staff had also told her that the motorcycles transported in containers were obtained directly from the factory. “According to the people there, those (motorcycles) are from the factory, to be sold abroad. That’s why I was confused when they said yesterday it was stolen bikes. They all looked brand new,” she said.