Riau L300 Driver Arrested While Transporting Subsidised Fuel for Illegal Gold Mine
A driver with the initials MI was arrested by the Subdit IV Tipidter team of the Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimsus), Riau Regional Police, when the L300 vehicle he was driving was found carrying biosolar fuel on Jalan Sudirman, Desa Seberang Pantai, Kecamatan Kuantan Mudik, Kabupaten Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing), Riau. The biosolar was known to be intended to support illegal gold mining activities or unlicensed gold mining (PETI).
The apprehension resulted from a series of investigations conducted by the Subdit IV team since Saturday (4/4), following up on information about the practice of misappropriating subsidised fuel. The suspect MI, who was transporting the illegal fuel, was secured on Sunday (5/4) around 5:30 WIB.
“When secured, the team found 10 jerrycans containing biosolar inside the vehicle,” said the Director of Reskrimsus of Riau Regional Police, Commissioner (Kombes) Ade Kuncoro, on Tuesday (7/4).
He stated that the biosolar transported by the suspect was to be sold to perpetrators of illegal gold mining activities in Kuansing Regency.
“This illegal practice, which harms the state and damages the environment, involves the misuse of subsidised biosolar fuel, suspected to have been used for PETI illegal gold mining activities in Kuantan Singingi Regency,” he said.
From this revelation, it was also discovered that the L300 vehicle driven by the suspect had been deliberately modified to carry biosolar fuel exceeding the vehicle’s tank capacity.
He explained that the suspect was secured on Jalan Sudirman, the Riau-West Sumatra route, Desa Seberang Pantai, Kecamatan Kuantan Mudik, while transporting subsidised biosolar fuel.
After securing the L300 vehicle along with 10 jerrycans of biosolar inside it, the Subdit IV team further discovered large-scale fuel stockpiling, consisting of two 1,000-litre tanks each, one 800-litre tank, and additional jerrycans of biosolar at the perpetrator’s house in Dusun 2, Desa Pebaun Hulu.
From the overall count, the total biosolar fuel found amounted to 3,200 litres.
“This is not merely a distribution violation, but part of a larger chain of illegal activities. Therefore, we moved quickly to disrupt the flow from the upstream,” he said.
He emphasised that this enforcement is part of Riau Regional Police’s ongoing commitment to protecting the public’s right to subsidised fuel, while closing off spaces for illegal activities that impact environmental damage.
“Law enforcement must have an impact. Not only stopping the perpetrators but also breaking the system that has supported illegal activities. This is what we continue to do,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Head of Subdit IV Tipidter of Riau Regional Police, Ajun Commissioner (AKB) Teddy Ardian, added that the examination results revealed the perpetrator had long been running the misappropriation practice with a fairly systematic modus operandi.
“The perpetrator repeatedly refuelled at petrol stations by changing vehicle number plates to deceive officers. After that, the fuel was transferred to jerrycans using a pump, stockpiled at home, and then resold,” he explained.
The perpetrator also admitted that most of the subsidised fuel was channelled to support PETI activities in the Kuantan Mudik area, namely as fuel for dompeng machines, which have been the main tool in illegal mining practices.
“This is a serious concern for us. When subsidised fuel is diverted, it not only harms those entitled to it but also supports illegal activities that damage the environment,” he stressed.
Another admission from the suspect was that the biosolar fuel was also sold for other needs such as ferry operations and rice milling machines.
“However, our focus in this enforcement is the distribution route to illegal mines,” he said.
He affirmed that this revelation is also an effort by Riau Regional Police to cut off one of the main supply routes of subsidised fuel to PETI activities in Kuantan Mudik.
This step is part of a broader strategy to curb illegal mining practices that have long been a source of environmental damage in the area.
“Currently, the suspect has been secured at Riau Regional Police Headquarters to undergo further legal proceedings. Investigators are also continuing developments to uncover possible wider networks behind this practice,” he concluded.