Indonesia
Archipelago
The crackdown on the misuse and hoarding of subsidized fuel comes as several regions across Indonesia have reported fuel shortages in recent months, including Aceh, North Sumatra, Bangka Belitung Islands, East Nusa Tenggara, South Sumatra, East Kalimantan and South Sulawesi.
Motorists wait to buy Pertalite gasoline at a gas station in Medan, North Sumatra, on July 16, 2026. PT Pertamina Patra Niaga is seeking to normalize long queues by extending operating hours to 24 hours and deploying 30 additional fuel tanker trucks to distribute fuel to gas stations across North Sumatra. (Antara/Yudi Manar)
Police across the country are cracking down on the misuse and smuggling of subsidized fuel following reports of shortages in several regions, which have triggered long lines at gas stations.On Wednesday, Riau Police announced that they had named three people suspects for allegedly smuggling thousands of liters of subsidized fuel siphoned from fuel tanker trucks.
