Illegal Black Gold

SINCE 2009, Pertamina and private oil companies have had thousands of barrels of crude oil stolen from their pipelines in South Sumatra. State losses from such thefts amounted to hundreds of billions of rupiah as authorities stood by powerlessly.

In 2013, the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) launched an investigation and presented its findings to Pertamina representatives and security officials. There was no followup although the companies involved in the theft network were clearly named in the investigation report codenamed Belinda Hitam (Black River). The report also showed the involvement of police and army personnel. The police later arrested dozens of thieves mostly from Musi Banyuasin regency but their crackdown only targeted field operators.