10 men arrested for stealing Caltex?s assets

At least 10 men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the stealing of oil pipes, steel bars, electric cable and other equipment from PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia?s oil fields in Bengkalis regency, Riau, Astaga reported on Thursday.

Imron Korry, the chief of the Bengkalis police, said in Dumai, some 280 kilometers from Riau?s provincial capital of Pekanbaru, said on Tuesday that some of the arrested people were temporary workers of Caltex. ?Of the 10 people, four are temporary workers at Caltex,? he added.

He believed that the ten men were part of the syndicate who conducted a number of lootings on the oil company?s equipment. Theft and lootings, according to Caltex, have caused financial loss of billions of rupiah.

Seven of the ten men were arrested on Saturday after the police found heaps of electric cables, while the other three were caught red-handedly when they were trying to steal equipment at one of the company?s oil wells. (*)