Taking Advantage Of Scarcity, The Man In Rokan Downstream Modified Mitsubishi L300 Buys Subsidized Diesel At Gas Stations To Sell It More Expensively

Suspect Y after being secured at the Rokan Hilir Police Headquarters. (ANTARA/HO-Police Rokan Hilir)

ROKAN HILIR - Rokan Hilir police officers arrested Y (19), a resident of Tanah Putih Subdistrict, Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau Province, after being suspected of abusing the purchase of subsidized diesel fuel (BBM) on Wednesday.

Head of Public Relations of the Rokan Hilir Police, AKP Juliandi, explained that the perpetrator was caught red-handed while refueling at the Simpang Bukit Timah gas station by driving a modified Mitsubishi L300.

Initially, people were suspicious because the same car kept refilling subsidized diesel repeatedly at the Simpang Bukit Timah Public Fuel Filling Station (SPBU) to coincide with the 77th Anniversary of Indonesian Independence.

"Based on the results of the investigation and inspection, the Mitsubishi L300 car driven by Y was found to have an oil tank that has been modified with an additional tank above the 700 liter capacity of the rear tailgate along with an oil pump," said Juliandi via text message released from Antara, Thursday, August 18.

With this discovery, evidence in the form of a modified car, about 200 liters of subsidized diesel fuel, plastic hoses, and a pump engine used to carry out the action were confiscated.

Based on the results of the examination, Y has been abusing subsidized diesel fuel for the last three months. The diesel, which he bought fraudulently, was resold to farmers for Rp. 7,000 per liter.

"Y admitted that he bought diesel at a price of Rp. 5,500 and resold it for Rp. 7 thousand per liter. So more or less the perpetrators took a profit of Rp. 1,500 from each liter of diesel that he sold. This profit was used to pay for car installments and daily needs," he continued.

As a result of his actions, the perpetrator was charged with Article 55 in Article 40 of Law No. 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation for the amendment of Law No. 22 of 2001 concerning Oil and Gas.

AKP Juliandi also appealed to residents not to violate the law by abusing the purchase of subsidized diesel, considering that currently the stock of fuel is running low, especially in the Riau area.