Police Arrest Three Suspects for Adulterating Subsidised LPG in Karanganyar

The Serse team from Karanganyar Police Resort dismantled a subsidised LPG adulteration operation and arrested three suspects in a warehouse in Dukuh Pandakan, Blorong Village, Jumantono Subdistrict, Central Java, on Monday (6/4/2026). The profits from this subsidised goods adulteration reached Rp750 million per month. “Their modus operandi is to buy 3kg LPG from grocery stores in various areas of Karanganyar, then inject it into 12kg and 50kg LPG cylinders,” said Karanganyar Police Chief, AKBP Arman Sahti, on Monday afternoon (6/4/2026). According to him, by transferring the subsidised LPG to non-subsidised 12kg and 50kg cylinders, the three small-time operators gained substantial profits. The three suspects were arrested and secured while transferring the contents of small gas cylinders (melon) to non-subsidised cylinders. They are initialled S, a resident of Karanganyar; HS, a resident of Solo; and WSP, a resident of Jatiyoso, Karanganyar. According to the Karanganyar Police Chief, based on examination results, each 12-kilogramme cylinder is filled with three to four subsidised melon cylinders, yielding a profit of Rp68,000 per cylinder. Meanwhile, each 50-kilogramme cylinder is filled with around 16 subsidised cylinders, with a profit of Rp312,000 per cylinder. From this illegal activity, the small group managed to earn an average of Rp24 million, resulting in total monthly profits from the LPG adulteration practice reaching Rp750 million. “We seized evidence including 457 gas cylinders of various sizes, dozens of modified regulator hoses, and one sack of fake seals,” stated AKBP Arman Sahti clearly. Investigators from Karanganyar Police Resort continue to develop the examination regarding the possibility that this illegal practice is connected to a similar adulteration case handled by Central Java Police. “We are investigating intensively. Their actions not only harm the state in terms of subsidies but also pose great danger because the gas transfer process is done illegally without adequate safety standards,” concluded the Karanganyar Police Chief.