BBM and LPG Mafia Busted! 330 People Arrested, State Loses Rp243 Billion

Jakarta – The Directorate of Specific Crimes at Bareskrim Polri, along with regional police commands, has successfully uncovered hundreds of cases of misuse of subsidised BBM and LPG in a short period. In an operation lasting 13 days, from 7 to 20 April 2026, 330 suspects were secured from 223 crime scenes. Deputy Chief of Bareskrim Polri, Inspector General of Police Nunung Syaifuddin, revealed that the perpetrators employed various modi operandi to profit from state subsidies. “The modi include hoarding, transferring, adulterating, modifying cylinders, manipulating transport documents, and reselling at industrial prices to gain multiplied profits,” he said on Tuesday, 21 April 2026. He emphasised that these illegal practices are not merely legal violations but also a betrayal of small communities who should benefit from the subsidies. “Every litre of BBM and every subsidised LPG cylinder misused is essentially the right of small-scale farmers, fishermen, traders, transport drivers, and other vulnerable groups that is seized for the benefit of a few,” he stated. “Whoever is involved, whether field actors, financiers, receivers, or those behind the scenes, will be firmly dealt with and processed to completion,” he added. In the uncoverings, police also seized large quantities of evidence, including 403,158 litres of diesel, 58,656 litres of Pertalite, thousands of LPG cylinders of various sizes, and 161 four-wheeled and six-wheeled vehicles used in the illegal practices. “The state loss in this period is estimated at Rp243,069,600,800,” he said. In addition, throughout 2025 to 2026, 65 petrol stations were implicated in subsidised BBM and LPG misuse cases. Of these, 46 cases have been declared complete or P21, while 19 others are still under investigation. According to Nunung, the impact of these practices has been directly felt by the public, from shortages of 3 kg LPG to long queues at petrol stations. “Complaints about 3 kg LPG shortages, difficulties obtaining subsidised diesel, and long queues at petrol stations are the real impacts of these illegal practices,” he said. To suppress similar practices, Polri continues to strengthen synergy with various institutions, including the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic of Indonesia, PPATK, Puspom TNI, Pertamina, and SKK Migas.