Pamtas Task Force Fails Attempts To Smuggle Tens Of Liters Of Fuel To Timor Leste

TNI-AD personnel pose with evidence of fuel that was secured at the state border in Napan Village, North Central Timor, NTT. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The RI-Timor Leste Border Security Task Force (Satgas Pamtas) foiled an attempt to smuggle tens of liters of fuel oil (BBM) from North Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara to Timor Leste.

"This BMM is suspected to have been deliberately smuggled by unknown people through illegal routes in the border area of North Central Timor with Timor Leste," said Deputy Commander of the Napan Bawah Post for the West Sector Pamtas RI-Timor Leste, Sertu Handhika Wahyu.

The fuel to be smuggled is around 85 liters of which 30 liters of gasoline and 55 liters of diesel are filled in jerry cans of varying sizes.

Handhika explained that the existence of the fuel was discovered when four Pamtas task force personnel from Napan Bawah Post held a night patrol to check illegal routes around the border in Napan Village.

The personnel then found something suspicious in the form of the sound of people talking and footsteps at the patrol point not far from the Napan Bawah Post.

When checked, the patrol personnel saw two people who immediately ran leaving their luggage in the form of fuel filled in several jerry cans.

Handhika said that the pursuit of the person could not be found due to the dark conditions at night and the rather dangerous terrain, so it was stopped.

"These two people are unknown and they ran away, leaving behind several jerry cans filled with gasoline and diesel fuel which were allegedly about to be taken to Timor Leste," he said.

Patrol personnel then secured evidence at the Lower Napan Post and have reported this incident in stages up to the top leadership.