Stolen cars displayed at city police headquarters
Stolen cars displayed at city police headquarters
JAKARTA (JP): City police are inviting residents who are
recent victims of car thefts to examine 21 vehicles displayed at
police headquarters on Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta.
Chief of the city police detective unit Col. Alex Bambang
Riatmojo said on Tuesday that the stolen cars were recovered from
11 criminals during the last two weeks.
Alex declined to divulge information regarding the operations
in which the vehicles were seized but said the cars were
repossessed in separate raids.
"Preliminary investigations show that the thieves worked in
groups, using various methods and moved from one area to
another."
The thieves used substitute keys to break in to vehicles, Alex
said.
Car rental businesses were also targeted by the thieves. The
criminals submitted fake identification cards, rented the cars
and failed to return them, Alex said.
Based on a confession from one suspect three of his
accomplices remain at large.
Amin Salim, 25, admitted cars were sold far below market price
and came equipped with forged vehicle documents.
"We sell the latest model Kijang van, for example, for between
Rp 21 million (US$2.470) and Rp 30 million and a Lancer sedan for
between Rp 50 million and Rp 100 million."
The prices were approximately half the price of second hand
cars sold from official showrooms. One showroom offered a Lancer
for Rp 154 million.
The 21 stolen cars, parked in front of the city police
detective unit's compound include Timor, Mitsubishi Lancer and
Honda Cielo sedans.
Officers arrested a man, identified as Herman Gkarisu, for
allegedly stealing side mirrors from an Opel Blazer car, one of
the stolen vehicles at headquarters, Alex said.
"The suspect is still being questioned. He was caught trying
to take the side mirrors while his girl friend waited in his
car."
Alex said Herman admitted to police that he had stolen side
mirrors from the seized cars several times to sell at Tanah Abang
market in Central Jakarta. (emf)