Karawang Police Unload Subsidized Elpiji Coupling

Evidence of misuse of subsidized LPG gas in Karawang. (ANTARA/Ali Khumaini)

The Karawang Police have uncovered the 3 kilogram subsidized LPG gas that has been going on for about a year in Babakan Cedong Village, Karawang Regency, West Java.

"We have secured two suspects in this case of misuse of subsidized LPG gas," said Karawang Police Chief, AKBP Wirdhanto Hadicaksono as reported by ANTARA, Monday, July 24.

The two suspects had the initials EA (26) who were suspected of being the direct perpetrators who mixed subsidized gas. Another suspect, with the initials DH (38), who helped in the mixing process.

Apart from the two suspects, there is still another suspect with the initials D who was involved in the subsidized LPG mixing action. D is still being chased by the police.

From the arrest, the police confiscated evidence in the form of 3 kilograms of LPG as many as 90 tubes, 5.5 kilograms of LPG and 12 kilograms of LPG 25 tubes.

Several other pieces of evidence confiscated were digital scales, a number of iron pipes, and cars suspected of being used to transport LPG gas cylinders resulting from illegal injections.

The criminal case of misuse of LPG subsidies in Babakan Cedong Village, Parungsari Village, Telukjambe Barat District, Karawang, was revealed when officers from the Karawang Police Satreskrim patrolled on Friday (21/7).

At that time the police received information on suspicious activities in a place without a name sign that used to be a former workshop.

After an investigation was carried out, with the help of the community, the officers finally managed to get inside and find the practice of injecting or mixing subsidized LPG gas by two people who are now detained.

The operation of subsidized LPG gas was carried out by injecting the contents of 3 kilograms of LPG subsidized LPG gas into LPG gas cylinders with a capacity of 12 kilograms and 5.5 kilograms.

"From the results of the examination, it turned out that the perpetrators had carried out the action for one year, and thousands of 3-kilogram LPG gas cylinders had been purchased by the perpetrators to be transferred to non-subsidized LPG cylinders," he said.

For the actions of the perpetrators, the state is estimated to have suffered losses of around hundreds of millions during this year. Because in one week, the perpetrators market 15 to 20 LPG gas cylinders.

"The subsidized LPG gas cylinder, HET (highest retail price) is around Rp. 32,800 per cylinder. From the injection results, 12 kilograms of LPG can be sold for Rp. 190 thousand and 5.5 kilograms can be sold for up to Rp. 70 thousand. So the state loss for a year from the perpetrator's action could be up to hundreds of millions," said the Police Chief.

To account for his actions, the perpetrator was detained at the Karawang Police Headquarters detention center and threatened with Article 50 of the Law on Oil and Gas.

"The threat is imprisonment for six years and a fine of Rp. 6 billion," he said.