Three arrested on fake lubricant scam

JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested three people Wednesday for producing fake lubricant and confiscated 13 drums of oil ready for distribution.

In the raid on the suspects' store, police seized three drums of Turalik 52 lubricant, five drums of Meditran S40 diesel lubricant, and one drum of Shell Tellus oil 68.

Police said the three men, identified as RM, CN, and AC, had been mixing lubricants since January 1996. RM was believed to be the mastermind.

They imported ingredients, similar to Pertamina's Mesran 40 lubricant and Esso lubricant, and mixed them for six hours.

Police said the quality of the mixed lubricants was much lower than the original. Lubricants usually sold for at least Rp 10,000 (US$4.10) per bottle.

Police also confiscated hundreds of drums containing the ingredients at the suspects' shop on Jl. Bandengan Utara, Cengkareng, West Jakarta.

The men sold the mixed oil in 209-liter drums and usually sold between 200 and 300 drums a month.

Printing and sealing devices were also seized from the shop as evidence. (cst)