{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1917719,
        "msgid": "customs-at-soekarno-hatta-foil-rp63-billion-gold-smuggling-attempt-1786625510",
        "date": "2026-08-13 19:29:00",
        "title": "Customs at Soekarno-Hatta Foil Rp63 Billion Gold Smuggling Attempt",
        "author": "Gana Buana",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Economy",
        "summary": "Customs and Aviation Security officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport intercepted two gold smuggling attempts within 24 hours, seizing 23.8 kilograms of 24-carat gold worth an estimated Rp63 billion. The operations, targeting flights to Hong Kong and Dubai, involved passengers concealing gold internally and a ground handling staff member exploiting employee access. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stressed the need for enhanced customs capabilities and inter-agency synergy to combat increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods.",
        "content": "<p>Customs at Soekarno-Hatta, together with Aviation Security (Avsec),\nsuccessfully thwarted two gold export smuggling attempts at Terminal 3\nof Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on 11 August 2026. In an\noperation lasting less than 24 hours, officers secured a total of 23.793\nkilograms of gold with an estimated market value of Rp63 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa emphasised the importance of\nenhancing Customs capabilities in the face of increasingly diverse\nsmuggling methods. \u201cCustoms, as the guardian of Indonesia\u2019s border, must\ncontinuously improve its capabilities and always stay one step ahead. We\nmust not let smugglers adapt faster than we do,\u201d Purbaya stated on\nThursday (13\/8).<\/p>\n<p>The first enforcement action targeted a network of passengers bound\nfor Hong Kong via flights CX798 and GA860. Officers detained seven\npassengers, including a Chinese national, who used extreme methods such\nas concealing egg-shaped gold in their genital and rectal areas\n(inserter), as well as hiding it in modified underpants. A total of\n17.436 kilograms of gold worth Rp46 billion was seized from this\ngroup.<\/p>\n<p>The second case was uncovered when officers detected the involvement\nof an airport ground handling staff member. The perpetrator used a\nspecial employee lane or loading dock to hand over gold to passengers\nheading to Dubai (flight EK357). Officers seized seven cast gold bars\nweighing 6.357 kilograms, worth Rp17 billion, stored in a backpack and\ncabin suitcase.<\/p>\n<p>Testing using an XRF Mineral Detector showed that all the gold had a\npurity of 99.99 percent, or 24 carats. The perpetrators now face charges\nunder Article 102A letter a of Law Number 17 of 2006 concerning Customs,\nrelated to criminal acts of export smuggling.<\/p>\n<p>Purbaya added that supervision now relies not only on physical checks\nbut also on enhanced risk analysis and inter-agency synergy. Customs at\nSoekarno-Hatta is currently coordinating with the Criminal Investigation\nAgency of the National Police and the Directorate General of Minerals\nand Coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to trace the\norigin of the gold.<\/p>\n<p>The government also reminded that gold exports must comply with\nMinister of Finance Regulation Number 203\/PMK.04\/2017 and Minister of\nFinance Regulation Number 80 of 2025 concerning Export Duty. The public\nis urged to always report the carrying of gold abroad to ensure export\nactivities are conducted legally and transparently.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/customs-at-soekarno-hatta-foil-rp63-billion-gold-smuggling-attempt-1786625510",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}