Riau Police Uncover Subsidised Diesel Mafia, Thousands of Litres Seized from Land to Waterways
Pekanbaru – The practice of a subsidised fuel mafia has been uncovered once again. Riau Regional Police (Polda Riau) revealed the misuse of Bio Solar in two regions simultaneously, namely Pelalawan Regency and Indragiri Hilir Regency, on Sunday, 5 April 2026.
In the operation, officers managed to secure more than 10,000 litres of illegal fuel as well as several suspects believed to be involved in the dark distribution network.
Director of Special Criminal Investigation at Polda Riau, Commissioner General Police Ade Kuncoro, emphasised that this revelation is a form of the police’s commitment to safeguarding the distribution of subsidised energy so that it reaches its intended targets.
“This is a demonstration of our seriousness in cracking down firmly on the misuse of subsidised fuel. Subsidised fuel is the right of the public, especially groups in need, and must not be diverted for illegal business interests,” he said.
The first revelation was carried out at a workshop on Jalan Lingkar, Kerinci Timur Ward, Pangkalan Kerinci Subdistrict, Pelalawan Regency. At the location, police found around 5,000 litres of Bio Solar stored in dozens of jerry cans and large-capacity baby tanks.
In this case, police named one suspect with initials ANM, who acted as the buyer, collector, and seller of the illegal fuel. The modus operandi involved the suspect purchasing fuel from brokers who filled up at petrol stations using trucks, then collecting it before reselling at a higher price.
Deputy Head of Subdirectorate IV for Fuel and Oil Trafficking at the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of Polda Riau, Assistant Commissioner General Police Teddy Ardian, revealed that this practice had been running for about two months with a fairly organised pattern.
“The fuel is bought from brokers at around Rp280,000 per 33-litre jerry can, then resold between Rp290,000 and Rp300,000. The profit may seem small per jerry can, but when accumulated in large quantities, it is significant,” Teddy stated.
He added that the suspects used various modi to circumvent the system, including using vehicles with different licence plates when filling up at petrol stations. Even the targeted market was remote areas, including the needs of logging trucks that have difficulty obtaining official fuel.
Meanwhile, the second revelation was conducted in Rotan Semelur Village, Pelangiran Subdistrict, Indragiri Hilir Regency. Police found the wooden boat KM Surya transporting Bio Solar without official documents.