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)