T

he Indonesian Navy base in Palu, Central Sulawesi, has deployed three warships to help prevent any efforts to smuggle fuel earmarked for inter-island supplies through the Makassar Strait.

Palu naval base commander Col. Boedi Oetomo said on Wednesday that the KRI Birang 831, Andau Navy ship and Pantoloan sea patrol boat had been deployed. “Now KRI Binrang 831 is on the sea under the control of the Navy base in Makassar, South Sulawesi,” Boedi said.

“We always coordinate with the Makassar Navy base to safeguard sea territories,” he said, adding that supervision of the strait would be intensified to prevent any fuel smuggling attempts to and from Central Sulawesi.

The routine patrols are also aimed at safeguarding the marine areas from any other crimes, ranging from illegal logging and timber smuggling to the importation of used garments and illegal fishing activities.

On Tuesday, the Donggala Police managed to secure at least 2.4 tons of kerosene before it was smuggled into East Kalimantan. The fuel was stored in dozens of 35-liter jerricans, Boedi said.

Meanwhile, the police are investigating cases involving the smuggling of thousands of liters of subsidized diesel oil in Cekalong and Padakembang, Tasikmalaya regency, West Java.

“We’ve questioned four people involved in the case ... possibly that number will increase,” West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Putut Eko Bayu Seno said after attending a coordination meeting held in Bandung ahead of the government’s announcement of the fuel price hikes slated for April 1, 2012.

Putut said that the smuggling case, involving 6.58 tons of diesel oil, was discovered by his subordinates on Tuesday. The fuel was stored in 27 containers each with a capacity of 201 liters and 24 jerricans with a capacity of 40 liters each.

“We’re still trying to determine the origin of the fuel and how they transported it there,” Putut said.

He explained that the police had previously predicted the smuggling activities, especially ahead of the government’s fuel price hike announcement.

“Hoarders are subject to a penalty of five years in prison and a fine of Rp 50 billion, and those transporting the fuel will be subject to four years in prison and a fine of Rp 40 billion,” he said.

With regard to security measures put in place ahead of the official announcement of the fuel price hikes, Putut explained that the police had taken a number of steps. One of them was to station an officer at each gas station, depot and oil refinery in West Java.

Out of 31,000 police officers in West Java, Putut said, about 10,000 will be deployed to be on a standby in the field.

In Medan, North Sumatra, a rally to oppose the planned fuel hikes ended in a clash between the police and student protesters on Wednesday.

The clash broke out at 2 p.m. after an exchange of stones between the protesters and security officers in front of the North Sumatra Legislative Council.

The officers then responded with water cannons and by firing warning shots with rubber bullets.

The scuffle resulted in at least three police officers being injured, and the arrest of 37 students
involved in the rally.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the students were detained at the Medan Police headquarters.

The detained students attend various universities, including the North Sumatra University and North Sumatra Muhammadiyah University.

Apriadi Gunawan contributed to this story from Medan.