Telephone cables stolen in C. Java

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): A total of 415,000 meters of telephone cable has vanished along a railway route, disrupting communications here.

Although the damage done from the theft of the copper cables was not too severe, "we have to work extra fast to replace the cables," said Masduki Achmad, branch head of the state-run railway firm, PT Perumka.

He said the thefts had all occured in the past month. "The thefts were at three times in different places, and our railway patrol officers have been outdone," he told The Jakarta Post, adding that losses were estimated at around Rp 1 billion.

The worst affected area was in Jerullegi, Cilacap, he said, where a number of railway traffic signs and poles had also vanished. "We've resorted to replacing traffic signs with painted winnowing trays as we haven't been able to buy new ones," he said. (45)