Police step up crackdown on subsidized fuel abuse in Sumatra amid shortage repor...
Fuel shortages have been reported in several parts of Indonesia since the start of the year, triggering queues stretching for kilometers and disrupting residents' daily activities.
Over the past week, Indonesian authorities have intensified efforts to combat the misuse of subsidized fuel, particularly in Sumatra, where fuel shortages have become a widespread problem. In North Sumatra, police have arrested six individuals involved in various fuel-related offenses, seizing a total of 72,519.3 liters of fuel.
Sr. Comr. Irfan Rifai, the provincial police's director of special crimes, detailed the methods used by suspects, including transporting fuel in modified vehicles for resale and tampering with fuel pumps to dispense less fuel than charged. One specific case involved the manager and supervisor of a filling station in Serdang Bedagai regency, who were arrested for tampering with pump seals, resulting in the pumps dispensing between 440 and 510 milliliters less fuel than indicated.
Investigations have traced this illegal activity back seven years, with the station's operators allegedly making approximately Rp 595.3 million (US$32,700) from the manipulation.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
