Surabaya, CNN Indonesia —
Polda East Java dismantling the practice of hoarding medical oxygen cylinders in Sidoarjo. The medical devices are stockpiled and will be resold by the perpetrators at prices that far exceed the highest retail price (HET), in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two perpetrators who are still witnesses are a pair of brothers, AS and TW. The police confiscated 129 oxygen cylinders from the perpetrators. He sells the one cubic meter tube for Rp. 1.3 million, whereas HET can only be sold for Rp. 750 thousand.
“Some are looking for profit by selling twice as much,” said East Java Police Chief Inspector General Nico Afinta, at the East Java Police Headquarters, Monday (12/7).
Nico explained that this started when his party received information from a buyer with the initials FR. He admitted that he bought an oxygen cylinder and its contents from TW actors via Facebook, for Rp. 1.3 million.
TW admitted that he got the oxygen cylinder and its contents from his older brother AS. The US perpetrator turned out to have prepared oxygen cylinders and their contents, which were purchased from the depot and filled with oxygen from PT S and PT NI at a price of IDR 700 thousand.
This means that this pair of brothers, AS and TW, in their action reaped a profit of Rp. 650 thousand per one cubic meter of oxygen cylinder.
Despite having uncovered this case, the East Java Police have not yet named the two perpetrators as suspects. Currently, the police are still examining three people with the initials AS, TW and one witness who is a victim of FR for further investigation.
“Further research. We urge the public not to buy to be stored worse for sale again,” Nico said.
Nico said the 129 medical oxygen cylinders that had been confiscated would be handed over to people in need.
“We are doing an in-depth investigation, we will hand this gas cylinder back to the owner so that it will be handed over to those in need at an appropriate price,” he said.
Later, if AS and TW are found guilty, they will be subject to Article 62 Paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 10 of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection. The penalty is five years in prison or a maximum fine of IDR 2 billion.
(frd/ugo)
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