Man arrested for train cable theft

JAKARTA: Residents of Kampung Daung, Pademangan, North Jakarta, attacked two men early on Thursday who allegedly attempted to steal the electrical cables from a train, KompasCyberMedia reported on Friday.

Pademangan Police chief Comr. Budi Sa'arin said only one of the men, Marsel, 17, had been named a suspect in the attempted theft.

"We have no evidence of the involvement of the other man," he said.

Witnesses say they saw six people, including Marsel, carrying bags full of cables. When one of the witnesses approached the six men, they fled. Residents were able to detain Marsel and one of the other men.

Marsel reportedly acknowledged he and his friends were stealing the cables so they could sell the copper.

A spokesman for railway operator PT KAI, Akhmad Sujadi, said the company had been taking extra security measures to try and prevent the theft of cables, which usually occurred between midnight and dawn.

"To get the cables, the thieves have to dismantle the train's ceiling. We have yet to calculate the losses caused by these thefts," he said. -- JP