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View all search resultsFuel shortages prompt nationwide crackdown on subsidized fuel misuse
The crackdown on the misuse and hoarding of subsidized fuel comes as several regions across Indonesia have reported fuel shortages in recent months, including Aceh, North Sumatra, Bangka Belitung Islands, East Nusa Tenggara, South Sumatra, East Kalimantan and South Sulawesi.
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Motorists wait to buy Pertalite gasoline at a gas station in Medan, North Sumatra, on July 16, 2026. PT Pertamina Patra Niaga is seeking to normalize long queues by extending operating hours to 24 hours and deploying 30 additional fuel tanker trucks to distribute fuel to gas stations across North Sumatra. (Antara/Yudi Manar)
P
olice across the country are cracking down on the misuse and smuggling of subsidized fuel following reports of shortages in several regions, which have triggered long lines at gas stations.
On Wednesday, Riau Police announced that they had named three people suspects for allegedly smuggling thousands of liters of subsidized fuel siphoned from fuel tanker trucks.
Riau Police's director of special criminal investigation, Sr. Comr. Ade Kuncoro Ridwan, said the operation was uncovered after authorities received reports from residents about suspicious activities at a warehouse in Bagan Sinembah district, Rokan Hilir regency.
"We raided the warehouse on July 16 and found it had allegedly been used to store subsidized fuel illegally," Ade said. "We arrested six people during the operation, and after questioning them, we named three as suspects."
The three suspects are the owner of the warehouse and two fuel tanker drivers employed by PT Elnusa Petrofin, a logistics and fuel distribution subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina.
Police alleged that the drivers were transporting subsidized fuel from Pertamina's fuel terminal in Dumai, Riau, to gas stations in North Sumatra when they diverted to the warehouse in Rokan Hilir. Using a specialized tool, they allegedly broke the seals on the tanker's compartments, siphoned off portions of the subsidized Pertalite gasoline and Biosolar diesel, then resealed the compartments before continuing to their designated destinations.
The siphoned fuel was allegedly transferred into jerry cans, drums and storage tanks inside the warehouse, where it was stockpiled before being resold at prices above the government-regulated rate. Police seized about 2,600 liters of subsidized fuel during the raid.
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