Vehicle theft ring uncovered in Bali

DENPASAR, Bali: Bali Police have apprehended 25 men allegedly involved in a vehicle theft ring, confiscating 73 motorbikes and a car as evidence, police said here on Saturday.

Bali Police, working with their counterparts from East Java, arrested the men in a routine operation which started on Aug. 16.

"We are still searching for 26 others allegedly involved in the case," chief of the Bali Police detectives unit Col. Bambang Hendarso said.

Several areas in East Java such as Banyuwangi, Jember, Bondowoso and Madura have been known for years as a black market for stolen vehicles from Bali.

Bambang said an average of five to six vehicles were stolen each day in Denpasar and Kuta. (50/edt)