Atambua – The Belu district military command on Thursday succeeded in foiling an attempt to smuggle around 1.8 tons of kerosene to East Timor.

The smugglers were to take the kerosene across the border at Silawan, East Tasifeto sub-district, Belu district, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

If the fuel oil smuggling attempt had been successful, it would certainly have affected the Belu people's kerosene supply because their fuel oil stock, provided by state-owned oil company Pertamina, was only enough to meet the local people's need.

"Until now Belu has always had an adequate supply of fuel oil. If the smuggling attempt was not stopped, the district would no doubt suffer a shortage," head of the Pertamina Deport in Atapupu, Kardino, said in Atambua.

He said, last July Pertamina supplied l,968 kiloliters of gasoline, 1,589 kiloliters of diesel fuel oil and 1,250 kiloliters of kerosene to Belu district.

How many kiloliters of fuel oil Pertamina would provide for Belu district this month (August) was still unknown as the supply activity was still underway.