Stolen cars, phones smuggled into Batam

Stolen cars, phones smuggled into Batam

SINGAPORE: Syndicates with links in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia are likely behind the mounting numbers of stolen cars and cellphones smuggled into the island of Batam, a spokesman for the custom's department said in a published report on Tuesday.

Souvenir Yustianto of the Indonesian island's customs department told The Straits Times that syndicates were testing Batam as a new entry point for cellphones after finding other Indonesian ports difficult to penetrate with tighter checks.

Authorities seized 114 vehicles last year, more than the two previous years' total of 95.

They also confiscated 4,000 undeclared mobile phones in the last four months, Souvenir said.

He mentioned a detained vessel with 57 undeclared cars in 27 containers that sailed last year to Batam from Malaysia via Singapore waters. Malaysian police later confirmed that the vehicles had all been stolen. -- DPA