828 barrels of fake lubricant seized

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Motorists, be careful if you buy lubricant from sidewalk vendors or repair shops as you may be buying a fake product.

City police announced on Friday that they had arrested on Monday a suspect identified as Herman Lim alias Aci, an owner of a factory that had allegedly produced fake car lubricant for the past three years.

Deputy chief of special crimes at the Jakarta Police Adj. Sr. Comr. Agung Sabar Santoso said that police had raided Herman's warehouses in Cakung, East Jakarta, and in Pluit, North Jakarta, and found hundreds of barrels of used lubricant bearing the labels of several famous brands.

"We have confiscated 828 barrels of fake lubricant in the operation. We are now detaining him here at the headquarters," he said.

Agung said preliminary evidence suggested that Herman was the only suspect in the case as all of his 15 employees were merely questioned as witnesses.

He said that Herman had put labels of famous lubricant brands, including Esso, Shell, BP, and Mobil Oil, on the fake lubricant drums then sold them to several areas in Jakarta and outside Java island.

"The suspect made the fake lubricant from used lubricant he bought from several suppliers. He then put on stickers of several famous lubricant brands and sold them to auto repair shops and factories," Agung said.

He added that they also found 776 empty drums ready to be filled with fake lubricant outside the warehouses.

Agung said that Herman had monthly sales of around Rp 800 million.

He said that Herman would definitely have accomplices to run his operations throughout Indonesia.

"We suspect that he has friends that help him run the operations. And we believe several other factories are still in operation in Greater Jakarta. We are now investigating them," Agung said.

Herman will be charged under Article 90 of Law No. 15/2001 on trademark, and Article 24 of Law No. 5/1984 on industry, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment, he said.

Agung called on vehicle owners in Jakarta to check carefully whether the lubricant they bought was original as more and more fake lubricant was being circulated in the city.

Herman, who was presented to reporters on Friday, denied all charges, saying that he bought the lubricant from several official agents.

"I have never produced fake lubricant. I bought all my lubricant from agents. I don't understand why the police have arrested me and seized all my belongings," he told reporters.

Fuel hoarding and producing fake lubricant has become widespread in the city.

Amid complaints about fuel shortages in many places across the capital, Jakarta Police have arrested 54 people for hoarding a total of 317 tons of fuel.

Jakarta Police said that they had confiscated two tons of premium, 154 tons of diesel, 73 tons of kerosene, and 85 tons of other oil, including several tons of lubricant.