Offshore Oil Syndicates

THE smuggling of fuel oil on the waters of the Riau archipelago has become worse than ever. The arrest of tens of illegal ships by the regional police and the Riau customs directorate-general in the past two years show how serious this crime has become.

But the attitude of the law enforcers to this trillion-rupiah illegal business is very worrying. So far, investigation on the 'pissing ships'the terminology for ships illegally transferring fuel oilhas never been concluded satisfactorily. The main perpetrator, as well as the smuggling network and their 'protectors', have rarely been exposed. Only the minor players on the ground, like the ships' captains and the crew, have been arrested and tried.