Fuel smuggling a drain on Indonesia's economy

Jakarta

IT'S Tuesday morning and about three dozen vehicles are waiting for the fuel truck to arrive at a service station on the island of Belitung, Indonesia. Soon, a steady stream of cars will buy all the subsidised diesel and many drivers will then siphon their ration into jerry cans to sell at a profit.

The daily ritual is one step in a series of scams that range from car owners earning a f…