Sell-a-car scam disclosed

JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta Police yesterday detained a widow for allegedly selling eight cars which belonged to rental companies.

West Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Andi Chaeruddin said the woman, Tety Ellya Hassiana alias Kelly Hasibuan Hutagalung, was arrested last week at her house in Kebun Jeruk, West Jakarta.

"We have also confiscated eight cars of various types from the buyers' houses. The buyers are still at large," Andi said yesterday. The buyers can be prosecuted for buying stolen goods.

He said Tety is being detained at Pondok Bambu penitentiary while the case is being processed.

The mother of seven children has deceived rental companies since last February, Andi said.

Tety asked the rental companies to send cars to her house, but she did not return them when the rental time was over, he added.

"Tety and the victims, the companies' owners, knew each other," he said.

Andi said that the 45-year-old woman then sold five of the rent-a-cars to Cecep, a resident of Bandung, and one to Ery Wijaya alias Aju, a resident of Jelambar in West Jakarta, one to Dadang, a resident of Tebet in South Jakarta, and another one to Sabit, a resident of Bogor.

He said Tety sold the cars through middlemen, identified as Iman, Meling, Robert and Tisna Wijaya. "The middlemen are also still at large," he added.

Tety received between Rp 10 million (US$4,301) and Rp 25 million from the middlemen for each car, Andi said.

Tety admitted to having spent the money on her children's education, he said. (jun)