Including 7 Shop Owners, Polda Metro Jaya Ringkus 13 People Who Oplos LPG Subsidized

Polda Metro Jaya presented the suspect who mixed LPG gas at a press conference at the Metro Jaya Police Headquarters, Friday (12/23/2022) ANTARA

Investigators from the Special Criminal Directorate of Polda Metro Jaya arrested 20 suspected perpetrators of mixing LPG gas (liquefied petroleum gas/LPG) from three kilograms tube to 12 kilograms tube. "Regarding this case, there are 20 suspects who can be arrested," said Head of Public Relations of Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Endra Zulpan in Jakarta, Antara, Friday, December 23. Zulpan revealed that the 20 suspects consisted of seven shop owners, seven LPG gas makers and six employees. The suspects were arrested in raids carried out between September 2022 and November 2022 in several different locations in North Jakarta, Central Jakarta, East Jakarta, Tangerang City, South Tangerang and Bekasi. Zulpan also said the suspects used a similar mode, namely using a modified regulator and using ice cubes to cool gas cylinders, so that gas from a three kilogram tube could move to a 12 kilogram tube. "The suspects transferred the contents of three kilograms of LPG gas, which is a subsidy, to empty LPG gas cylinders measuring 12 kilograms which are non-subsidized, of course this is intended to make a profit," he said. After examining the suspects, they admitted that they bought three kilograms of subsidy gas at a price of Rp. 18,000-20,000. The suspects then used four gas cylinders to fill 12 kilograms of gas cylinders to sell at a price of Rp. 200,000-220,000. So that these suspects made a profit of Rp. 120,000-140,000 per cylinder. In the disclosure, the police also confiscated a number of evidences in the form of 626 three-kilogram LPG gas cylinders, 267 12-kilogram LPG gas cylinders, 11 5.5 kilograms of LPG gas cylinders, 12 regulators, six gas cylinder syringes and nine units of motorized vehicles. For their actions, these suspects have been detained and charged with Article 40 number 9 of Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation on Amendments to the provisions of Article 55 of Law Number 22 of 2001 concerning Oil and Gas and or Article 62 Paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 8 Paragraph (1) letters b and c of Law – Law Number 8 of 199999 concerning Consumer Protection and or Article 32 Paragraph (2) Law – Law Number 2 of 1981 concerning Legal Metrology. The threat of punishment according to the article above is a maximum imprisonment of 6 years and a maximum fine of Rp. 60 billion.