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