Stolen cars await owners: Police

JAKARTA (JP): City police spokesman Supt. Zainuri Lubis said on Monday 247 of over 600 recovered stolen cars had not been reclaimed by owners, even though the vehicles had been sitting in the city police parking lot since last year.

"The police have repeatedly informed the public, either through the media or directly by mail, that their car was waiting in the lot. But the number of unclaimed cars at city police headquarters remains high," he announced at his office.

The officer said the reason why numerous cars remained unclaimed was that owners often failed to recognize them.

"Criminals often change the cars in some way, even the registration numbers and the cars' engine frame numbers," he said.

Zainuri said poor coordination with other provincial police headquarters was previously another source of the problem.

"The car owners, who live outside Jakarta, have tried to find their cars at their respective provincial police headquarters.

"However, they failed to do so because the cars were seized by the police detectives unit in Jakarta," he said.

According to city police traffic unit chief Sr. Supt. I Nyoman Sukesna said the stolen cars would be handed over to the state if the owners did not claim them within five years.

"The cars will then be sold in an auction, which will be held by the state," he said at his office. (asa)