JP\/5\/BELAWAN<\/p>\n
Smuggled goods sell well in Belawan<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan
\nMedan<\/p>\n
A range of cheap merchandise, allegedly smuggled from Malaysia
\nand Singapore, can be found on sale openly at Belawan Port, some
\n20 kilometers from the North Sumatra capital of Medan.<\/p>\n
The contraband include dolls, remote-control cars, CD and VCD
\nplayers, vases, decorative lamps, perfumes, shoes and clothing.<\/p>\n
Business is bustling in areas along Jl. Simalungun and others,
\nwhere it has been going on for years.<\/p>\n
Several traders interviewed by The Jakarta Post said they
\nenjoyed the business, even though they were dealing in illegal
\ngoods.<\/p>\n
Yanti, one such Belawan trader, said one of the reasons they
\ncontinued the business was because it was lucrative. In addition,
\nthe goods were more favored by buyers because they were cheaper
\nthere than in stores.<\/p>\n
For example, she said a 1.7-meter tall vase from Singapore
\ncost Rp 1.2 million (US$150.00), while in store prices could
\nreach over double that at Rp 2.5 million. A remote-control car is
\nonly Rp 75,000, compared to Rp 200,000 in stores.<\/p>\n
"There will always be buyers coming here every day to buy
\nimported products. They usually come from out of town like
\nBinjai, Langkat and even Aceh," said Yanti.<\/p>\n
Another trader, Riza, said traders ordered their stock through
\nprofessional agents, who had networks in Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
"Lightweight goods, like perfume, toy cars and dolls, are
\nusually brought in by ship with crew members acting as middlemen,
\nand heavier goods come also by ship, but are unloaded at night,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Cerah Bangun, head of the crime and prevention unit of the
\nBelawan customs and excise office, claimed that every imported
\nitem sold was legal and had been approved by the office, and
\ndenied smuggled goods were being sold at Belawan open market.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Medan Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bagus Kurniawan
\nsaid on Saturday that the customs office was aware of the items
\nbeing sold and that they were considered legal.<\/p>\n
The police were making efforts to clamp down on traders
\nselling illegal goods, he said.<\/p>\n
"Actually, we feel for the traders because they just want to
\nmake a living. The ones who must be arrested are the smugglers.
\nRelevant agencies should be involved in the case by paying close
\nattention to these illegal activities," he said.<\/p>\n
Last Friday, customs and excise director general Eddy
\nAbdurrahman said smuggling cases -- especially via areas on the
\neastern Sumatra coast, such as Belawan and Tanjung Balai -- had
\nbeen on the rise lately.<\/p>\n
He said smuggling there continued unabated because of a long
\nunbroken coastline with numerous spots where medium-sized vessels
\ncould gain easy access, he added.<\/p>\n
Based on data gathered by the directorate general of customs
\nand excise, smuggling activities in the area in the first five
\nmonths of 2004 had already exceeded last year's figure of only 29
\ncases.<\/p>\n
The cases being investigated include the smuggling of 57
\nluxury cars valued at Rp 11.8 billion from Singapore, 1.5 million
\npacks of cigarettes from China, and used clothing and sugar from
\nPort Klang, Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Eddy said suspects of the smuggling cases were being
\ninterrogated and would be taken to court soon to be tried, while
\nall evidence against them had been seized and much of them were
\ndestroyed.<\/p>\n
"Smuggling must be stopped immediately because it causes our
\ncountry to incur many losses," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp5belawan-1447899208",
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