MALACCA: It seems some Indonesians share more than a similar language with their Malaysian brothers. Their motorcycles seem to have similar registration numbers.

It is estimated that some 80 per cent of the motorcycles on the roads of Pulau Rupat, Indonesia, bear Malacca registration plates.

The reason? Motorcycles stolen in the state have been smuggled into the island in east Sumatra and sold for between RM200 and RM300 each.

The discovery was made by four policemen from the state police headquarters who were sent to the island on a field trip last December.

The stolen motorcycles, said state CID chief Assistant Commissioner Zainal Abidin Kassim, were shipped using bot pancung, a light, fisherman's speedboat made of wood.

"If bigger boats were used, the Customs Department would have detected them," he said.

Zainal Abidin said the theft and smuggling of the motorcycles were believed to have been carried out by Indonesian syndicates, with the boats starting out from the Kuala Linggi jetty in Alor Gajah as early as 5am.

It is believed some 10 boats make the trip daily.

"The boat ride to Pulau Rupat takes 30 minutes and 10 motorcycles are loaded onto each boat.

"We have set up a team to track down syndicate members," said Zainal Abidin, adding that four suspects from Indonesia were arrested three weeks ago.

While the index for other types of crime in the state dropped, motorcycle theft increased by 26.8 per cent last year compared with 2006.