Three men arrested for stealing container
Three men arrested for stealing container
JAKARTA (JP): Tanjung Priok port police have arrested three men, including two Excise and Customs officials, for allegedly stealing a container reportedly containing unassembled cars.
Head of port police chief, Lt. Col. Timbul Sianturi, said yesterday the two Excise and Customs officials, identified only as MT and MF, and one other suspect, AK, told police that the stolen box contained two luxury sedans.
The container importer has confirmed that he asked AK to take the container out of the terminal. Police refused to reveal the identity of the importer.
The owner had also admitted to having ordered the sedans from Singapore.
However, Timbul said, the suspects did not reveal the brand names of the two cars. The police and Excise and Customs office have not yet opened the 40-foot container.
"To be frank, I really have no idea about the contents of the container." he said. The officers are scheduled to open the container today, he added.
According to Timbul, the three suspects tried to steal the container from Terminal I of the port on the evening of Oct. 31, using fake documents, which said that the box contained electronics goods.
Port officials said that the container, shipped from Singapore, had been at the Terminal for a long time.
Police were informed earlier by the Excise and Customs office that unknown people had tried to take the container out at least twice. "But we failed to catch them. Now we got them," Timbul said.
Police have not found any evidence leading to the possibility of smuggling. "If there is any indication of smuggling, the importer will be charged with evading import taxes. This means the importer inflicted losses to the government," the officer said.
Import tax for luxury sedans is currently set at 125 percent, plus surcharges of 75 percent, value added tax of 10 percent and sales tax on luxury goods of 20 percent.
According to Indonesian law, cars with a cylinder capacity exceeding 3,000 cubic centimeter engines, or as expensive as a Mercedes Benz 300 CE sedans are categorized as luxury cars. (bsr)