Cheeky thief runs up phone bill in stolen Benz

WHAT a shock it was for Mrs Grace Gooljary when a stranger who answered the mobile phone in her husband's car told her that the Mercedes-Benz had just been stolen and was already on its way to China.

The thief engaged the frantic Mrs Gooljary in polite conversation, revealing that he picked up the car from the basement of Leighton Centre in Causeway Bay where Mr Cassam Gooljary, vice-president of wine and champagne importer Caves de France, had parked it.

Speaking in Chinese, he went on: ''We are professional thieves and we do this kind of thing all the time. We are very pleased to get your car - it is so beautiful.'' Mrs Gooljary suggested a possible deal to get back the almost-new 420 SEL, but more specifically some personal papers in an attache case in the boot.

The thief, however, informed her that this was impossible as the much-prized beige Benz was already on a boat and speeding towards China.

It left the car park at 4.30 pm and Mrs Gooljary called at about 7 pm.

''I'm now on the boat with the car so there is nothing we can do,'' the thief said.

''Anyway, I can't get into the boot. I have no key.'' Mr Gooljary was occupied with meetings in his office at the Leighton Centre and knew nothing about the drama on his car phone.

The thief did not answer any more calls from the Gooljarys.

The matter was not reported immediately to Hongkong Telecom, in the hope that allowing continued use of the phone might give some clues as to where exactly the car had been taken.

But when Mr Gooljary got the bill a few days later, he saw that long and expensive calls had been made to Vancouver and realised it was time to cut the line.

The itemised account also revealed that calls were made to police stations in Wan Chai and Guangzhou soon after the car was stolen.

Mr Gooljary, who goes to China frequently on business, said the wish he made on his 50th birthday was to get the Benz back and that he would be carrying the keys on every trip in the hope of spotting it.

''But if I were to find it, I wonder whether I would be breaking any law by driving it across the border.''