East Java Police Secures 279 Tons Of Subsidized Illegal Fertilizer

East Java Police Release/PHOTO: AM Sby-VOI

SURABAYA - Ditreskrimsus Polda East Java secured 5,589 sacks or 279.45 tons of subsidized illegal fertilizer. Cases of misuse of subsidized fertilizers were found in nine districts in East Java.

"There are 21 people who have been arrested regarding the misuse of this subsidized fertilizer," said East Java Police Chief Inspector General Nico Afinta in Surabaya, Monday, May 16.

Nico explained that the disclosure of the case began when the East Java Police Ditreskrimsus along with the police ranks, supported by the Department of Agriculture and Trade, collected information related to the fertilizer issue.

"Because East Java is one of the largest rice barns in Indonesia. So the availability of rice also depends on the availability of fertilizers," he said.

Nico said this makes an ecosystem in the availability of rice. The East Java Regional Police succeeded in uncovering irregularities in the availability of fertilizers, distribution and prices. "Regarding fertilizer, we have uncovered 17 police reports that have been made or cases with 21 suspects," he said.

For the dozens of cases, Nico continued, 13 processes were handled by the East Java Regional Police, from the nine regencies in East Java, namely Banyuwangi, Jember, Nganjuk, Ngawi, Ponorogo, Tuban, Blitar, Sampang, and Lamongan.

"The modus operandi is that the suspects buy powder and then replace it with non-subsidized fertilizer with a different price," he said.

In fact, said Inspector General Nico, the government has set the highest retail price with the original price of Rp. 115 thousand, but the perpetrators have changed it so that farmers buy prices that vary between Rp. 160 thousand to Rp. 200 thousand.

"We can imagine that the large amount will burden the farmers. Meanwhile, the perpetrators replace the persak and get a profit of between Rp. 45 thousand to Rp. 85 thousand persak," he said.

In addition, Inspector General Nico continued, the suspect's modus operandi was selling with fertilizer above the highest retail price, because the farmers really needed it, so they bought it.

To trick the officers, said Inspector General Nico, the suspects also sold fertilizer outside the province. The East Java Regional Police also revealed that the fertilizer will be sent to East Kalimantan by ship.

"In the future, we will coordinate with relevant stakeholders from the ranks of the East Java Provincial Government, then to take precautions we will carry out further coordination related to the RDKK, namely the Definitive Plan for Farmer Group Needs," he said.