Police Investigate Cause Of 3 Kg Elpiji Scarcity In Batam Whose Price Can Be Capai Rp40 Thousand

People queue to buy 3 kg LPG in market operations in Botania, Batam City, Monday (16/9/2024). (ANTARA/Laily Rahmawaty)

The Criminal Investigation Unit of the Barelang City Police, Riau Islands, also investigated the cause of the scarcity of 3 kilograms of LPG cylinders that occurred in Batam City in recent times.

Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Barelang Police, AKP Giadi Nugraha, said that during this investigation, his party had deployed a team to the field and coordinated with related agencies.

"Currently, coordination is being carried out with relevant agencies and an investigation is being carried out in the field," Giadi said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 17.

The investigation was carried out by collecting data and information to find out an event suspected of not being criminal can or cannot be investigated according to law.

Regarding whether there are parties who will be questioned in this investigation, the first officer of the National Police said it was still under investigation.

"Currently, it's still an investigation," he said.

The scarcity of 3 kilograms of LPG cylinders has occurred in Batam City since the last few weeks, resulting in people such as the Taman Raya area having difficulty getting the subsidized LPG.

Even if someone sells it, the price reaches Rp. 25,000 per tube, more expensive than the normal price of Rp. 21 thousand per cylinder. Likewise in the Bengkong area, some get subsidized LPG for Rp. 40 thousand.

The Department of Industry and Trade (Disperindag) of Batam City together with Pertamina Patra Niaga Kepri carried out 3 kilograms of LPG market operations in the Botania and Bengkong areas.

In addition, Disperindag and Pertamina also identified the cause of the scarcity of subsidized LPG in Bengkong District.

Head of the Batam City Industry and Trade Agency Gustian said that in the Bengkong area, a number of washing business actors (laundry) and upper middle-sized businesses were found to be consumers with a massive category of using subsidized LPGs, which is suspected to be one of the reasons the base agent ran out of stock.

"Indeed, there was a vacancy due to delays in the delivery of quotas, but we looked for other potential causes and found these obstacles. We suspect this finding is also the main cause of the vacancy," said Gustian, Monday (16/9).

Regarding these findings, the Batam City Industry and Trade Agency has sent a warning letter to the washing business owner who uses 3 kg LPG for business operations, in addition to changing the use of non-subsidized 12 kg LPG cylinders.