Riau police hold Caltex?s pipe thieves

Riau police on Thursday held four men for interrogation after being found stealing oil pipes of oil producer PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia, Riau Post reported on Friday.

The four men used a truck to transport Caltex?s oil pipes from Minas where its oil mines are located. Police officers, who spotted them on Thursday on a site between Minas and Pekanbaru, took them and their truck to the Minas police office for questioning.

They admitted to police interrogators that they had stolen the oil pipes from Caltex?s project in Minas. The police then confiscated their vehicle.

Minas police chief Rekson said the men had given them information about other people who had been involved in the pipe theft. The police would soon arrest them, Rekson said.

Caltex, owned by US energy giant Chevron Texaco, has oil mining operations in Mina and Duri in Riau province.

Caltex senior vice president Yudiana Ardiwinata said earlier they were concerned about criminal acts and labor problems in its operation area.

Caltex is a key contributor to Indonesia?s oil and gas reliant economy. It accounts for about half the country?s crude oil output. (*)