Sneaky Tactics of the Energy Mafia: Bulk Buying Fuel with Fake Plates to Mixing Subsidised LPG
Police headquarters (Bareskrim Polri) has revealed various cunning operational methods employed by perpetrators misusing subsidised fuel (BBM) and LPG to gain personal profits. These illegal practices systematically divert subsidised goods to non-subsidiary and industrial sectors.
Director of Specific Crimes (Dirtipidter) at Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Mohammad Irhamni, disclosed that one of the most common tactics is manipulating retail-level purchases.
“These illegal practices are carried out through various methods, one of which is repeatedly buying subsidised BBM at petrol stations (SPBU) to stockpile and resell it to the industrial sector at non-subsidiary prices,” said Irhamni during a press conference at Police Headquarters in South Jakarta on Tuesday (7/4).
This crime also involves technical sophistication. The perpetrators are known to use vehicles modified to carry large volumes of BBM in a single trip.
Moreover, shocking facts have been uncovered where perpetrators use fake number plates. This is done to deceive the digital barcode distribution system, which should limit subsidised BBM purchases per vehicle per day.
Not only in the liquid fuel sector, energy mafias also target 3kg LPG. The method involves transferring gas from subsidised 3kg cylinders into non-subsidiary cylinders of 12kg to 50kg sizes through injection techniques. The resulting mixed cylinders are then resold in the market at much higher industrial prices.
This firm action is part of Bareskrim Polri’s major revelation regarding energy misuse throughout the 2025-2026 period. The scandal is reported to have caused enormous potential state losses, reaching Rp1.26 trillion.
The police emphasise that such actions severely harm the sense of social justice, as energy subsidies are the right of the underprivileged society, corrupted by certain individuals for personal enrichment.
The government is committed to not raising the price of subsidised BBM during 2026.