Syndicate of Gas Cylinder Thieves Disbanded, 3 People Named Suspects

JAKARTA - The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Metro Jaya Police has dismantled a case of alleged extortion of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or liquid oil gas cylinders in East Jakarta and Depok.

"There are three suspects who have been arrested, namely two people with the initials PBS (46) and SH (46) in East Jakarta and J (50), all of them are men," said Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of Polda Metro Jaya, Kombes Pol Edy Suranta Sitepu, at a press conference at Polda Metro Jaya, Wednesday, December 24, 2025.

Edy said the three suspects were arrested at different times, PBS and SH were arrested on Thursday, December 20, 2025 at a warehouse with an address on Jalan Raya Kayu Tinggi, Cakung District, East Jakarta, while J was arrested on Tuesday, December 16 on Jalan Edi Santoso, Cipayung District, Depok City, West Java.

"The method is to transfer the contents of a three-kilogram LPG gas into an empty 12-kilogram and 50-kilogram LPG gas cylinder using a modified injection device iron pipe," said Edy.

He added that these perpetrators' actions had been carried out for eight months to 18 months, causing the country to suffer a loss of around Rp300 million.

"For the role of the suspect, this PBS is the owner and at the same time also carries out the transfer of the contents of the subsidized tube into non-subsidized," said Edy.

Then the initials SH and J played a role in purchasing three kilogram LPG gas at a warung or base then taken to the gas transfer location for the transfer process.

"They also have a role to sell to the community, of course, at a non-subsidized price," said Edy.

The profit obtained by the suspects is IDR 50,000 - IDR 120,000 per tube for 12 kilogram gas and IDR 560 thousand - IDR 694 thousand per tube for 50 kilogram gas.

They can be charged under Article 40 paragraph 9 of Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning the Regulation of the Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation into Law on the amendment of Article 55 of Law Number 22 of 2001 concerning Oil and Natural Gas jo Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.

"With a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp60 billion," said Edy.