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Car theft ring shut down, 15 arrested
Fri, 09/19/2008 11:49 AM | City
JAKARTA: Jakarta Police busted a car theft ring of 15 people allegedly active in several major cities in the country.
"They operated in Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi regions," head of the vehicle theft division Adj. Sr. Comr. Nico Afinta told reporters Thursday.
One of the gang, identified only as MKM, served as a courier.
"He would make fake ID's and work as a driver. After driving for an employer for a while, he would make away with the car," Nico said.
Of the 15 people arrested, police shot one suspect, named Wiryo, allegedly in charge of counterfeit documents.
"He threatened the officers with a gun so we shot him. He died on the way to a nearby hospital. He had already served six jail sentences for similar crimes," Nico said.
Police suspect the ring had been active for four years, as one of the suspects, Yudi, told police he had sold 71 cars so far to six people, two of them in the military.
The police were still searching for six fences who worked with the ring.
During their investigation, the police also found counterfeit bills worth Rp 4.3 million (US$462) in one suspect's house.
Nico said he assumed one of the fences might have bought a stolen car with the fake bills. --JP
