South Sumatra Police Reveals Elpiji Gas Coupling Business

Deputy Director of the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the South Sumatra Police AKBP Putu Yudha Prawira (two from the right)/ANTARA/Ahmad Rafli Baiduri

PALEMBANG - South Sumatra Regional Police (Polda) has uncovered a business case of mixing LPG gas from three kilograms into a 12-kilogram tube in Muara Enim Regency.

Deputy Director of the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the South Sumatra Police AKBP Putu Yudha Prawira said the police arrested a man suspected of mixing LPG gas with the initials SW (42).

The suspect SW was arrested by the police on July 24, in Cinta Kasih Village, Muara Enim Regency, South Sumatra, which is a business warehouse and also the home of the suspect after receiving reports from residents.

The perpetrator admitted that he had just mixed LPG from three kilograms of cylinders to 12 kilograms of cylinders in the past month.

During the mixing, the perpetrators needed four three kilograms of subsidized gas cylinders to be transferred to 12-kilogram LPG cylinders, using modified regulators and ice cubes to cool the gas cylinders so they could move.

The capital needed by the suspect was to mix a 12 kg gas cylinder, by buying four three kilograms of subsidy gas for Rp. 18,000 per unit or the same as Rp. 72,000.

After becoming a 12 kg tube, then resold for Rp. 200 thousand so that the suspect earned a profit of Rp. 128 thousand per cylinder

Meanwhile, the gas cylinder was obtained by the perpetrator from one of the gas agents belonging to the community in Talang Ubi District, PALI Regency.

"Aktivitas tersebut pelaku mampu menggoplos gas LPG tersebut sebanyak 12 tabung per minggu. Kemudian gas tersebut dijual senilai Rp200,000 per tabung ke sejumlah toko dan mini market di kawasan Kabupaten PALI dan Muara Enim," jelasnya.

The police confiscated a number of evidences, including 558 3-kilogram LPG gas cylinders empty, 3 kilograms of subsidized LPG gas cylinders containing 122 cylinders.

12 kilograms of gas cylinders containing 14 tubes, one gas cylinder injection device, one scale, and one car for transportation.

For his actions, the suspect violated the article, namely Article 40 number 9 of Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation on Amendments to the provisions of Article 55 of Law Number 22 of 2001 concerning Oil and Gas of Earth and or Article 62 Paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 8 Paragraph (1) letters b and c of Law Number 8 of 199999 concerning Consumer Protection and or Article 32 Paragraph (2) of Law Number 2 of 1981 concerning Legal Metrology.