Police find container theft suspects already in jail

JAKARTA (JP): Police discovered that the party behind the theft of four containers full of fabric from a Tanjung Priok port terminal in North Jakarta were already in jail, City Police spokesman Supt. Muhammad Nur Usman said on Wednesday.

Nur said the suspects, namely Herman Surahman, 48, and Johny Kainawa, 56, were released from Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta on Oct. 19 after being arrested for stealing 10 containers full of electric generators from the Jakarta International Container Terminal 1 last April.

While waiting for the trial of their previous heist, not wasting any time, the two thieves stole the four containers containing 1,501 rolls of jean fabric worth Rp 1.5 billion (US$161,290) from the same terminal, Nur said.

"The two men were eventually put back into the penitentiary on Oct. 26 but not for the theft of the four containers as the company who owned the containers only reported them missing on Oct. 27," Nur told a press conference at the Seaport Security Police Unit (KPPP) headquarters.

Nur said that the thieves were able to pull off the heist with the help of some insiders from the Customs and Excise Office who provided the thieves with documents to bring the containers out of the terminal.

Nur said that the police had also arrested two men, Supardi Bin Takwib, 44, and M. Safi'i, 55, who allegedly worked for the two men to steal the containers.

Nur said that Supardi, who was present during the press conference with Safi'i, had been paid to look for delivery orders which had been thrown away in garbage cans around the terminal.

Supardi finally found one which was then reconstructed by Johny and Herman to look like it had been issued by a fictitious company named PT. Multi Nilamida.

"With the aid of the documents issued by the Customs and Excise Office, the men managed to take the containers," Nur said.

Nur said that the police would summon two members of staff from the Customs office on Thursday for questioning.

Nur said that the police had only succeeded in seizing 860 rolls of fabric since Herman and Johny had sold the rest to a man named Gunadi, who is still at large.

"Gunadi had paid them Rp 100 million for the fabric," Nur said.

Supardi and Safi'i told reporters, they had only been used by Herman and Johny.

"I didn't know where the containers came from. I was just told to find some trucks to transport the containers. I did just that," Safi'i who was a worker at the terminal said.

Both Safi'i and Supardi claimed to have been paid only Rp 200,000 for their role in the theft. (jaw)