Endus Bau Menyebat, Police Patrol Unloading Subsidized LPG Gas Misappropriation In Tasikmalaya

Illustration. Pertamina's LPG gas cylinder is subsidized at 3 kg. (Between)

The police revealed the criminal act of misappropriating the subsidized LPG gas in Tasikmalaya City, West Java. The mode is by transferring the LPG gas content of a subsidy of 3 kilograms (kg) to a gas cylinder, not a subsidy.

"Now the suspect has been named, and is now being secured at the Tasikmalaya City Police detention center," said Tasikmalaya City Police Chief AKBP SY Zainal Abidin during a press conference on the disclosure of this case in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Tuesday, April 18, which was confiscated by Antara.

He said that the disclosure of police suspicions that carried out patrols smelled the strong smell of gas from a house in Cibungur Village, Nangewer Village, Pagerageung District, Tasikmalaya Regency, Friday, April 14.

Furthermore, the police conducted an investigation, then a search of the house, which was found to be injecting gas from a subsidized gas cylinder into a tube, not a subsidy using a special tool.

"Then a search was carried out regarding the house and a criminal act of oil and gas abuse has occurred, carried out by the perpetrator who is currently a suspect," he said.

He conveyed that his staff then secured one suspect who was known to be the owner of the business, namely the initials GR (21), then confiscated evidence, namely 69 subsidized gas cylinders, 38 12 kg gas cylinders, and syringes to transfer gas from 3 kg cylinders to 12 kg cylinders.

The perpetrator's mode, he said, was by means of every four 3 kg gas cylinders, transferred to 1 12 kg gas cylinder whose goal was to benefit from the fraud.

"The perpetrator's motive is suspected to have moved the contents of the LPG gas cylinder to a 3 kg subsidized empty gas cylinder measuring 12 kg to make a profit," said Zainal.

He revealed that the results of the temporary examination of the perpetrators had only been misappropriating subsidy gas for a few months and some had been circulated to the public.

"He as the owner, from the results of a new confession of a few months, not so long ago," he said.

He conveyed that as a result of his actions, the suspect was charged with Article 55 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 22 of 2001 concerning Oil and Gas as amended by Article 40 number 10 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation with a maximum penalty of 6 years in prison, and a fine of Rp. 60 billion.

The police, he continued, will continue to investigate the case, and increase supervision to anticipate fraud and other criminal acts.

"In the future, we will continue to monitor the circulation of subsidized gas in the community, if there is a shortage and absorption with abnormal numbers, we will carry out an investigation," said the Police Chief.

Previously, a similar case of misuse of subsidized gas had also occurred in the jurisdiction of the Tasikmalaya City Police, namely at a warehouse on Jalan Mangin, Sukamaju Kidul Village, Indihiang District, Tasikmalaya City, Monday 27 February.

It has been more than a month since the case of gas misappropriation in the warehouse has not been known, nor has there been no suspect to be responsible for the case.