Student Jailed After Selling Pertalite for Rp50,000 During Fuel Queue Panic
A student in Badung, Bali, identified by the initials UN, 27, allegedly sought to make a profit amid public panic and long queues for fuel at petrol stations. He bottled Pertalite in 1.5-litre containers and offered it online for Rp50,000. The scheme led to his arrest.
UN was arrested by Badung Police criminal investigators on Jalan Raya Padang Luwih, Dalung Village, North Kuta District, Badung, on Thursday night (15 October 2026).
“We detained the suspect in Dalung at around 11.30pm. We had received a public report concerning the suspected misuse of fuel,” Badung Police public relations officer Ipda Ni Nyoman Yuni Eltari said when contacted on Saturday (17 October 2026).
The case came to light after police received information about the suspected misuse of subsidised fuel in Badung, allegedly involving its transport in jerrycans. Officers then investigated online offers of bottled Pertalite on Facebook Marketplace.
The Pertalite was offered on a cash-on-delivery (COD) basis, with delivery by motorbike.
“The suspect offered Pertalite on Facebook, with COD as the payment method. During questioning, he admitted it,” Yuni said.
The suspect used social media comments to offer buyers 1.5-litre bottles of Pertalite for Rp50,000. The offers were made while members of the public were panicking and queuing for fuel at petrol stations.
“He offered 1.5-litre bottles of Pertalite for Rp50,000 through Facebook comments. His motive was purely to make an economic profit,” Yuni said.
Police seized 10 bottles, each containing 1.5 litres of Pertalite, and a jerrycan containing two litres of the fuel from the suspect, who is from Malang and lives in Kerobokan.
Officers also seized Rp1.5 million in sales proceeds, a mobile phone, a Toyota Avanza, a water-level hose and pliers.
The suspect has been charged under Article 55 of Law No. 22 of 2001 on Oil and Gas, as amended by Article 40(9) of Law No. 6 of 2023, which enacted Government Regulation in Lieu of Law No. 2 of 2022 on Job Creation.
“He faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a fine of Rp60 billion. We are still completing the case file and continuing to question witnesses,” Yuni said.