South Sumatra Police Uncover 96 Illegal Fuel Cases, Seize Over 1.2 Million Litres
The South Sumatra Regional Police (Polda Sumsel) have uncovered 96 cases of illegal fuel misuse between January and July 2026. From these operations, police seized 1,261,864 litres of illegal fuel along with other evidence. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Kertapati Motor Vehicle Weighing Unit (UPPKB) in Palembang, attended by representatives from the Sriwijaya Regional Military Command (Kodam II/Sriwijaya), the High Prosecutor’s Office, the High Court, the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Task Force (SKK Migas), and Pertamina.
South Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Sandi Nugroho stressed that the crackdown on illegal fuel distribution is part of efforts to support national energy security. Beyond law enforcement, the police are also promoting solutions to allow the management of community and old wells through proper legal channels. “This is a real solution so that what was once illegal can now become legal. In accordance with Ministerial Regulation No. 14 of 2025, community wells and old wells are now permitted to be managed by the public through cooperatives, regional-owned enterprises (BUMD), or micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM). The main requirement is that the well must be verified by SKK Migas and its output officially channelled to Pertamina,” he explained in a written statement on Monday (27/7/2026).
Director of Special Criminal Investigation for the South Sumatra Police, Senior Commissioner Doni Satrya Sembiring, stated that from the 96 police reports handled, 129 individuals have been named as suspects. The total volume of illegal fuel seized reached 1,261,864 litres. Of the 96 cases, 26 have been declared complete (P21), 24 are in the second stage of the process, and the remaining cases are still under investigation. In addition to the fuel, police seized 50 vehicles believed to have been used in the illegal activities, comprising nine four-wheeled vehicles, 25 six-wheeled vehicles, and 16 ten-wheeled tronton trucks.
Furthermore, the police uncovered 11 cases of illegal oil refineries, which pose potential environmental risks, leading to the arrest of 13 suspects and the seizure of 125,320 litres of oil. Through these disclosures, the South Sumatra Police reaffirmed their commitment to eradicating illegal fuel misuse while supporting lawful energy resource management. The effort is expected to safeguard national energy security and provide benefits for the community and the regional economy.