Police Arrest Perpetrators Of Oxygen Cylinder Sellers In Sidoarjo Whose Price Has Increased Almost 2 Times

SURABAYA - East Java Police arrested three sellers of oxygen cylinders above the highest retail price (HET). They are currently still undergoing examination as witnesses at the Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimsus).

"With this, there are two things that have been violated, hoarding oxygen cylinders and prices exceeding the HET," said East Java Police Chief Inspector General Nico Afinta, at the East Java Police Headquarters in Surabaya, Monday, July 12.

The three perpetrators had the initials AS, TW, and FR, residents from Sidoarjo. This case began when AS bought oxygen cylinders and their contents from PT NI at a price of Rp. 700,000 and sold them to FR for Rp. 1,350 million. Whereas the HET for oxygen cylinders is Rp. 750,000 per 1 cubic meter tube.

The US in its action is assisted by TW, which is the younger brother of the US. TW markets oxygen cylinders and their contents measuring 1 cubic meter through their Facebook accounts and WhatsApp groups. It is known based on public information, that AS and TW seek profit by selling oxygen cylinders beyond the HET.

"Currently there are many people who need oxygen and on the other hand there are those who are looking for profit. So there will be a shortage," he said.

Nico appealed to the public not to panic by buying oxygen cylinders and medicines if they didn't need it. Because the government has prepared everything that the community needs when infected with COVID-19. "We will coordinate with the distribution of oxygen cylinders and medicines to run smoothly," said Nico.

In this case, the East Java Regional Police secured as many as 129 oxygen cylinders of various sizes from 3 to 8 July 2021. This case is regulated in Article 62 paragraph (1) of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection.

This article reads, 'Business actors who violate the provisions as referred to in Article 8, Article 9, Article 10, Article 13 paragraph (2), Article 15, Article 17 paragraph (1) letter a, letter b, letter c, letter e , paragraph (2) and Article 18 shall be sentenced to a maximum imprisonment of five years or a maximum fine of Rp. 2 billion.