Musi Banyuasin, KOTABARI.COM – M Ayub (36), the owner of three illegal oil wells in Keluang, Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra, has been apprehended by the police. Ayub was captured while attempting to flee the city and hiding in a hotel in Sekayu.
Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit at Musi Banyuasin Police, AKP Bondan Try Hoetomo, confirmed the arrest. He stated that Ayub is currently undergoing intensive questioning at the police station. “Yes, it’s true, the owner (of the three illegal wells that exploded and caught fire) has been arrested,” Bondan confirmed to Kotabari.com on Tuesday (May 14, 2024).
Ayub’s arrest was carried out by the Special Crimes Unit (Pidsus) of the Musi Banyuasin Police on Monday (May 13). According to the police investigation, after the explosion occurred at the site, information was received that Ayub was attempting to flee the city. “After the incident, the suspect tried to escape the city, and we managed to capture him,” Bondan explained.
Ayub was apprehended while staying at a lodging in the center of Musi Banyuasin Regency, specifically in the Sekayu District, while waiting for the morning. “While trying to flee and waiting for the morning, the suspect stayed at a lodging in Sekayu. After receiving this information, officers immediately went there and made the arrest,” he added.
Previously, a fire broke out again at an illegal oil well site in Musi Banyuasin. Three oil wells in a single plot of land owned by a local resident in Keluang District burned for two days before finally being extinguished on Monday night (May 13, 2024).
“Yes, the incident happened since May 12 and was extinguished yesterday (May 13),” Bondan confirmed.
The incident is suspected to have been caused by sparks from a pump used by local residents to extract residual oil around the wells. “The cause was that local residents were extracting residual oil there using a pump, causing sparks from the pump and resulting in the fire,” Bondan explained.