With Iron Cutters, These Three Youths Were Determined To Beat The PGN Gas Gauge For IDR 40 Million

Three perpetrators of theft of PGN's gas volume meter (Andi Firdaus / Antara).

JAKARTA - Three perpetrators of theft of gas volume measuring instruments belonging to the State Gas Company (PGN) were successfully arrested by East Jakarta Metro Police officers. The gas gauge for Rp. 40 million is planned to be sold to collectors at low prices.

East Jakarta Police Chief, Kombes Arie Ardian said the three actors who were arrested were Andrew Marlond Yosua (22), Muhammad Dicky Saputra (20), and Nano Saputra (21). Before taking action, the three of them first scouted the location in the Cakung area, East Jakarta.

"The previous perpetrators had stalked the crime scene at night. After confirming the situation was safe, they took action on Tuesday morning," said Arie at the Tumur Police Headquarters in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Tuesday, January 5.

The gang went into action at around 05.00 WIB stealing a unit of the volume corrector which functions as a gas volume meter. The device was stolen by the perpetrator from the Pulogebang gas station on Jalan Pahlawan Komarudin, Cakung Barat.

The perpetrator acts using a cable scissors tool to disconnect the gas volume meter from the pipeline. "They immediately pulled it from the seat. There were clamps and cables that were cut off so that the controller became loose," he said.

Police discovered the incident after one of the residents smelled the gas leaking around the TKP. Starting from the residents' reports, said Arie, the police managed to detect the perpetrators and chase them to the Pulomas Flyway.

"Evidence is pliers and iron cutters, a unit of volume corrector which is worth Rp40 million," he said.

One of the perpetrators admitted that he was determined to steal the tool to sell it to ironworkers in North Jakarta. The motive is economic necessity.

"I don't know the price. I sold Rp. 5 million," he said. The three perpetrators will be charged under Article 363 of the Criminal Code with the threat of sentences of up to five years in prison.