LPG Smuggling In Subang, Police Estimates State Loss Of IDR 8 Billion Per Month

The perpetrator of the LPG gas smuggling with the initials TA (red shirt) in the Patokbeusi area, Subang Regency, Thursday, July 14. (BETWEEN-NICE AR)

SUBANG - The police said that LPG gas smuggling in the Patokbeusi area, Subang Regency, West Java, has the potential to cost the state Rp 8 billion per month.

Director of the Special Criminal Investigation of the West Java Police, Kombes Pol. Arief Rachman, said the amount of the loss was calculated based on the price disparity between subsidized and non-subsidized gas cylinders.

The smuggling in Subang is subsidized LPG gas which is put into non-subsidized cylinders to be sold for more profit.

"The state loss that we calculated from the disparity is Rp. 13,400 per kilogram, multiplied by 20 matrix tons, multiplied by 30 days, which means that the state has lost Rp. 8,040,000,000 in one month," said Arief at the smuggling location, quoted from Antara, Thursday 14 July.

Previously, the police managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle gas from a tanker truck carrying 20 tons of gas to be loaded into non-subsidized gas cylinders in Patokbeusi. He suspected that the illegal action had been carried out for about two to three months.

The smuggling was carried out by transferring gas from Pertamina's tanker trucks to temporary storage tanks at the location. Then the gas from the storage tank is put into a 50 kilogram gas cylinder.

Arief explained that the 20 tons of gas was transported from Eretan, Indramayu Regency, West Java. The tanker truck transportation is carried out by a third party company, namely PT ER.

According to him, the LPG gas tanker truck operated by PT ER should have been sent to Majalengka Regency, West Java. However, according to him, the tanker truck was sent to Patokbeusi, which is a smuggling place.

From the foiled smuggling, he said his party arrested a person in charge of the location, namely a man with the initials TA (42) and another perpetrator who acted as a loading and unloading officer.

Arief ensured that the disclosure of the case would not end only until the arrest of the two suspects. He said his party would continue to investigate to find other suspects.

"So, I emphasize, I will reveal from the lowest layer to the highest layer. The threat of punishment is very clear, this is very heavy, especially in times like today," he said.