Smuggling attempt of Rp 2.68 billion cash foiled<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Customs and excise officials at Soekarno-Hatta
\nInternational Airport have foiled an attempt to smuggle Rp 2.68
\nbillion (US$326,830) in cash.<\/p>\n
Tonny Soenanto, head of the Customs and Excise Office, said on
\nSaturday that the money, in Rp 50,000 banknotes, was seized from
\nEdward Mondong, a 30-year-old Indonesian, who was about to board
\na KLM flight to Singapore on Friday evening.<\/p>\n
The cash, he said, was bundled into different amounts in two
\nsuitcases, weighing 100 kilograms altogether.<\/p>\n
\"The man had no permit to carry such an amount of money
\noverseas. If proven guilty, he could be fined up to Rp 1 billion
\nunder existing regulations,\" Tonny said.<\/p>\n
According to Government Regulation No. 18\/1998, a written
\npermit from Bank Indonesia, the central bank, is required for any
\nIndonesian national who plans to carry more than Rp 5 million in
\ncash abroad, he said.<\/p>\n
Based on a preliminary investigation, Edward, a resident of
\nJl. Kayumanis, Matraman, East Jakarta, said the money belonged to
\na businessman who wanted to use it to pay his debts to his
\nbusiness partner in Singapore.<\/p>\n
But the customs and excise officials did not believe Edward.<\/p>\n
Tonny suspected that Edward might have other motives, such as
\nattempting to convert the rupiah into other currencies, like the
\ngreenback.<\/p>\n
\"If he really planned to pay off a debt, why would he have had
\nto do it in cash?\" Tonny said.<\/p>\n
The suspect is still under intensive questioning by the
\nairport authorities. The KLM plane, flight number KL-838, was
\nheading to Amsterdam with a stopover in Singapore.<\/p>\n
Tonny said Edward was first spotted as he arrived at Terminal
\nE of the airport with two big suitcases. He was driven in a
\nluxury car, he said.<\/p>\n
He and the two bags first \"passed\" the X-ray detector at the
\nentrance gate of the terminal. Customs and excise officials later
\nasked him to open the suitcases at the check-in counter.<\/p>\n
\"Our X-ray detected bundles of paper inside his suitcases
\nwhich were the same size as banknotes,\" Tonny said. (ylt)<\/p>",
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