Indonesia: Crimes increase after fuel price hike

On September 3, just after news broke the government increased subsidized fuel prices, a robbery was committed at 3 am at a gas station in Sidoarjo Regency. The lone robber, who was arrested later, was armed with a fake gun. A few days later, he was at it again, this time at a convenience store. In total, he took IDR 32 million (US$2,000) and hundreds of packs of cigarettes.

Scene of the gas station robbery. Photo credit: Ibnu Wibowo

The suspect of the gas station robbery. The gun he used was a fake. Photo credit: Sidoarjo police.

Other crimes which were reported included: an Indonesian National Army (TNI) personnel broke into an ATM with a crowbar, a group of robbers stole an angkot (minivan), and other break-ins of convenience stores.

These kinds of crimes were rare in Sidoarjo. The last gas station robbery occurred in 2007. The theft of angkot has never happened before. The numbers of ATM and convenience stores burglaries were low before the fuel price hike. However, after September 3, the crime rate saw an increase, not only in Sidoarjo, but all over the country, as reported in the news. Nonetheless, both the Sidoarjo Police and the Indonesian National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) did not provide any official data.

Police officer investigates at convenience store crime scene. Photo credit: Sidoarjo police

Convenience store robbery suspect at police press conference. Photo credit: Sidoarjo police

A source within the Sidoarjo police department, who wished to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed to Maritime Fairtrade there was indeed an increase in crimes in September as compared to August.

“Crimes almost doubled, in cases such as motor vehicle theft, mugging, burglary, fraud, and embezzlement of money. There is no official data yet but I believe the data will be available in early or mid-October. But it is clear to me crimes are up since fuel price went up,” he said.

Muhammad Ilham, social researcher, Muhammadiyah University, said: “Economic desperation can be a reason for someone to commit crimes. In Indonesia right now, because of fuel price hike, we are seeing income not keeping up with high inflation, high unemployment and a large income inequality gap. The situation will get worse from here onwards once the full impact of the fuel price hike is felt. And crimes will continue to climb up.”

He added based on historical data from the Indonesian Research Institute (LIPI), in 2005 after the government increased fuel price, there were 256,431 criminal cases nationwide, an increase of 15 percent as compared to 2004, when there were 220,886 cases.