Nokia phone smuggling scam sets off alarm bells<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Blora Center, an independent body that monitors reports from
\nthe public on corruption and abuse of power, revealed that
\nthousands of smuggled Nokia cellular phones have flocked the
\nlocal market.<\/p>\n
\"Ships that transported five containers filled with various
\ntypes of Nokia cell phone, including the latest 9500
\nCommunicator, have been arriving at Tanjung Priok port since last
\nmonth,\" Blora Center director Jusuf Rizal told a press conference
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Importer PT Sondang Marsinan Abadi (SMA) had claimed in its
\nimport documentation that it was importing auto parts instead of
\ncell phones, he added.<\/p>\n
The Blora Center, through its P.O. Box 909, which is reserved
\nfor public complaints, has received copies of the import
\ndocumentation.<\/p>\n
\"I believe they are valid,\" Rizal said. \"The first three
\ncontainers arrived here on board the ACX Magnolia on Oct. 18,
\nOct. 20 and Oct. 26 respectively.\"<\/p>\n
Due to inconsistencies between the actual contents of the
\ncontainers and the documentation, customs officers at Tanjung
\nPriok port claimed to have sent back the goods to the exporter.<\/p>\n
\"Our sources say that custom officials canceled the import
\ndocumentation and instructed the goods to be returned to the
\nexporter. Customs regulations, however, say that officers should
\nhave confiscated the goods,\" Rizal said.<\/p>\n
\"We suspected the involvement of some customs officers at the
\nport in the smuggling racket. So, we decided to conduct our own
\ninvestigation and the results confirmed the reports we had
\nreceived,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The other two containers arrived on the New Dynamic on Nov. 2.
\n\"The last two are still in Tanjung Priok. They are also believed
\nto contain Nokia cell phones,\" Rizal said.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for the customs service, Susiwiyono, told The
\nJakarta Post that officials at the port had confirmed the
\npresence of two containers imported by PT SMA.<\/p>\n
\"They have found there are indications that customs
\nregulations have been violated. We have placed both containers
\nunder customs service supervision,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The customs service's prevention department in Tanjung Priok,
\nSutejo, told the Post that both containers had been \"sealed\"
\nsince Nov. 2. \"We are still investigating whether customs
\nviolations have occurred.\"<\/p>\n
However, he refused to confirm whether the containers
\ncontained Nokia cell phones.<\/p>\n
Both Susiwiyono and Sutejo declined to say if the three
\ncontainers had been sent back to the exporter.<\/p>\n
\"Only two containers have been imported by PT SMA, not five,\"
\nSusiwiyono said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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