Gas Station Crimes

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

HERES a crime thats not easy to prove: fuel theft by gasoline stations. Station owners and operators tamper with the dispensing pumps, reduce the measure and dilute the products at the expense of consumers.

More gasoline stations are engaged in the illegal practices than those that arent. At least thats what a Pertamina investigation team found in an inspection of filling stations during the period May 2005 to June 2006. Of 228 stations inspected, only 108 were found free of the practices which annually cause losses to consumers estimated at up to Rp42 billion.

Station operators seek an excuse by saying they resort to the dishonest practices because of rampant stealing of fuel supplies they pay for from Pertamina on the way to delivery. Tempo looks into the business thats fraught with mischief and trickery.

. tempo : 173524060130.

A LONG line of vehicles was queuing for gasoline as the Mitsubishi Kuda van entered the filling station (SPPU) on Jalan Wahidin I, Gunung Sahari, Central Jakarta, one day last October. Four men inside the van prepared to make a sudden inspection unknown to the SBPU attendants.

At the SBPU pump, Soenarso, leader of the inspection team, jumped out. He did not go to the filling attendant, but looked for the SPBU supervisor. Ari Widoyono, a member of

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