Sugar smugglers operate unhindered: NGO<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, Medan<\/p>\n
The North Sumatra People's Transparency Coalition has said that
\nan eight-member mafia is behind the large-scale smuggling of
\nsugar through the Tanjung Balai and Belawan ports.<\/p>\n
The coalition, comprising eight non-governmental
\norganizations, said the mafia had been operating in North Sumatra
\nfor a long time virtually undisturbed by the authorities.<\/p>\n
Coalition coordinator Edi Rianto identified the eight alleged
\nmembers of this sugar smuggling mafia by their initials: AB, Ahk,
\nHS, BD, HU, EO and AT. He added that most of the sugar smugglers
\nwere active in Tanjung Balai, about 250 kilometers southeast of
\nthe provincial capital Medan.<\/p>\n
They are involved in smuggling large amounts of sugar from
\nMalaysia and Thailand into the country, Edi said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Edi said the group was aided by officials in the local customs
\nand excise offices, as well as port authorities.<\/p>\n
\"Our team recently observed hundreds of tons of illegally
\nimported sugar from Malaysia being transported at midnight by
\nsome 100 trucks from Tanjung Balai heading toward Medan, Rantau
\nPrapat, Padang Sidempuan, Kisaran and Tebing Tinggi,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the coalition had conducted a lengthy investigation
\ninto sugar smuggling at the Tanjung Balai and Belawan ports.<\/p>\n
The team was equipped with video cameras to record all of the
\nsmuggling activities at the ports, Edi said.<\/p>\n
\"We have turned over all of our findings, including material
\nevidence, to the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta. We urge
\nthe police immediately to follow up on this matter,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Edi said he had received death threats from a suspected member
\nof the mafia while he was in Jakarta filing the report.<\/p>\n
In response to complaints of smuggling at Belawan and Tanjung
\nBalai ports, local customs officials said they were doing
\neverything in their power to deal with the problem but the
\nsmugglers were smart enough to evade the authorities.<\/p>\n
The head of the prevention and investigation section at the
\nBelawan Customs Office, Cerah Bangun, said his office was
\ncooperating with the police to deal with the smugglers.<\/p>\n
When asked to confirm the activities of an organized group of
\nsugar smugglers, North Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Bambang
\nPrihady said the police had uncovered at least 53 cases of
\nillegally imported sugar since January this year.<\/p>\n
It is unlikely that members of the mafia are not involved in
\nat least some of these cases being investigated by the police, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"We hope the investigations can lead to evidence of their
\ninvolvement. The police cannot arrest anybody without evidence,\"
\nBambang said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that the incidence of smuggling had
\ndramatically increased in North Sumatra over the past several
\nyears.<\/p>\n
During an operation last year, the North Sumatra Police
\narrested 16 suspects in 15 smuggling cases, he said.<\/p>\n
Edi Rianto said his coalition appreciated what the police had
\ndone so far in dealing with smuggling, but questioned why only
\nlow-level criminals had been arrested.<\/p>\n
The police should not operate on the principle of \"catching
\nthe minnows and letting the snappers go\", he said.<\/p>\n
\"We ask the police not to discriminate in making arrests,
\nbecause in all the smuggling cases that they have handled none of
\nthe masterminds have been arrested, only the drivers or ship crew
\nmembers,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sugar-smugglers-operate-unhindered-ngo-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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