Telephone cables stolen in C. Java

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)