Fuel-laden tanker intercepted<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam<\/p>\n
A Panamanian-registered tanker Abber 32, laden with subsidized
\ndiesel fuel, was intercepted by a water and air police unit at
\nBatu Ampar port in Batam at around 1 a.m. on Monday.<\/p>\n
Chief of the Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) water and
\nair police unit, Adj. Comr. Marsigit Kurniawan, told The Jakarta
\nPost on Monday that his unit had intercepted the tanker based on
\nobservations of its activities at the Batu Ampar Port for the
\npast three months.<\/p>\n
\"After cross-checking on the reports we received from our
\nsources at the port with the available facts, we concluded that
\nthe vessel had been siphoning off subsidized diesel fuel to
\nsupply the ship rental business,\" said Marsigit.<\/p>\n
He said the tanker had been leased by PT Pan Liberty Natuna,
\nan oil exploration company in Natuna regency, to transport
\nlogistical equipment from Batam. The vessel, with a payload of 50
\ntons, had been filling up with diesel fuel once every four days
\nin Batam, ostensibly for the company's needs in Natuna.<\/p>\n
\"They first began hoarding fuel from small-scale suppliers in
\nBatam, and would fill the vessel with the illegally purchased
\nfuel at Batu Ampar Port. The fuel loaded on to the vessel was
\nsubsidized fuel for public consumption, but had been used for
\nindustrial purposes,\" said Marsigit.<\/p>\n
Police found evidence in the form of four tons of diesel fuel
\nin the hold of the Abeer 32 which was docked at the port, and had
\narrested its five crew members, the chief mechanic and skipper,
\nall of whom are Indonesian citizens.<\/p>\n
\"They are still being questioned by the Barelang police
\ndetectives now,\" said Marsigit.<\/p>\n
According to Marsigit, police will likely charge with a
\nviolation of Law No. 22\/2001 on Oil and Natural Gas, by
\nexploiting subsidized fuel.
\nPolice are also investigating their possible co-conspirators
\ninvolved in the case.<\/p>\n
\"We are still investigating who the fuel suppliers are. This
\nscam has been going on for the past several months,\" said
\nMarsigit.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 9, the Indonesian Navy intercepted the Jaya Success
\ntanker, while it was pumping diesel fuel on to the Singaporean
\nAiwa Maru tanker, flying a Honduran flag, in an out-port-limit
\narea off Batam.<\/p>\n
This modus operandi has become all to common in recent years
\ndue to the marked difference in price between domestic and
\ninternational fuel, which has prompted many local companies to
\nsmuggle fuel out of the country.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fuel-laden-tanker-intercepted-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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