Kupastuntas.co, South Lampung - The Lampung Police Directorate General of Criminal Investigation Unit 4 Team of Sub-Directorate raided a warehouse that was used as a place to mix fuel oil (BBM) in Sidomulyo Village, Sidomulyo District, South Lampung (Lamsel).

The police arrived at the scene driving 2 units of Toyota Rush and Toyota Fortuner at around 12.24 WIB, Thursday (24/8).

The team immediately checked a house that was used as a warehouse for mixing the fuel. Not long after, the police escorted a Daihatsu Gran Max car with plate number BE-9755-CX and a Honda Mega Pro motorbike out of the warehouse to the location of the second warehouse.

Local residents said that the police arrested a man with the initials W who was suspected of being the perpetrator of mixing fuel from inside the warehouse.

"The mode of fuel is pertalite type mixed with chemical powders and then sold as Pertamax. From the location, the Lampung Police team confiscated evidence in the form of 220 jerry cans of fuel weighing around 8 tons," said this resident, Thursday (24/8).

After the search, the police transported the mixed fuel evidence using a truck and took it to Rupbasan Bandar Lampung.

Head of Tipidter Unit 2 of the Lampung Regional Police Ditreskrimsus, AKP Setio Budi Howo, when met at the location, said that the case was still under investigation, and directed him to contact the Lampung Regional Police Special Directorate of Criminal Investigation, Kombes Pol Donny Arif Praptomo.

"It's still under investigation, contact the Direskrimsus Polda Lampung Kombes Pol Donny Arif Praptomo," said Setio while getting into his vehicle.

The South Lamsel Police Chief, AKBP Yusriandi Yusrin, when contacted, admitted that he did not know about the departure of the Lampung Police team. "I haven't monitored it," said the police chief.

The Direskrimsus Polda Lampung, Kombes Pol Donny Arif Praptomo, when contacted, confirmed that there had been a raid on a fuel mixing warehouse in Sidomulyo Village, Sidomulyo District, Lamsel.

However, his party could not disclose how many people were secured including the confiscated evidence. "Waiting for the member's report first," said Donny.

In addition to mixing fuel, subsidized fuel hoarding also occurs frequently in the Lampung region. During 2022, at least two cases of subsidized fuel hoarding were uncovered by the Lampung Regional Police's Criminal Investigation Directorate.

One of them is the stockpiling of diesel fuel in the warehouse of PT Usaha Remaja Mandiri (URM) on Jalan Soekarno Hatta KM 3-4, Way Laga Village, Sukabumi District, Bandar Lampung, last Tuesday (18/10/2022). From the location, officers secured 49 thousand liters or 49 tons of subsidized diesel fuel.

PT URM is suspected of carrying out the practice of hoarding subsidized diesel fuel since January 2021. This company has sold as many as 390 tonnes of subsidized diesel to other companies worth more than IDR 2 billion.

In this case, investigators have named six suspects, namely BW (Director of PT URM), DY (Employee of PT URM), RN (supplier), HW (supplier), UJ (coordinator of drivers purchasing subsidized solar) and DH (coordinating drivers of purchasing subsidized solar ).

Not long after, officers from the Ditreskrimsus Polda Lampung returned to secure as many as 11.75 tons of subsidized diesel belonging to PT Evron Raflesia Energi which were purchased from SPBU 24,353.48 in Candi Mas Village, Natar, South Lampung. Solar was purchased using a tank car that read 'PT Evron Raflesia Energi' with police number BD-8498-IU.

Officers from Sub Directorate IV of Ditreskrimsus Polda Lampung secured a tank unit containing 11 more tons of subsidized diesel fuel, last Monday (5/12/2022). Based on the results of the truck driver's statement, the subsidized fuel will be transferred to a tanker marked 'PT Evron Raflesia Energi' with the plate BD-8498-IU using a hose and suction machine not far from the gas station location.

Based on information from the gas station supervisor and operator, the casting activity has been going on since January 2022. Casting is carried out at least once a week and a maximum of 2 times a week.

Law Observer at the University of Lampung (Unila), Budiono urged the Lampung Police to take firm action against all perpetrators of mixing fuel and hoarding subsidized fuel. The act of diverting fuel is very detrimental to society.

"If no firm action is taken, it is feared that subsidized fuel abuse will become more widespread. We hope that the Lampung Police will enforce the law by taking firm action against the perpetrators," said Budiono. (*)

This news was published in the SKH Kupas Complete edition of Friday 25 August 2023 with the title "Polda Raid Warehouses of Mixing BBM in Sidomulyo"