Bareskrim Seizes 51 kg of Gold in Surabaya-Nganjuk, Three Suspects Charged
Indonesia’s Directorate of Special Economic Crime (Dittipideksus) at Bareskrim Polri seized dozens of kilogrammes of gold bars and jewellery worth hundreds of billions of rupiah from a series of raids in Surabaya and Nganjuk, East Java.
The evidence was seized from five locations in Surabaya and Nganjuk in February 2026, concerning allegations of illegal gold mining and money laundering (TPPU) from illegal mining operations.
Brigadier General Ade Safri Simanjuntak, Director of Dittipideksus Bareskrim Polri, stated that the raids represented a development stemming from analysis reports by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK).
From preliminary findings, the accumulated transaction volume of gold sales allegedly originating from unlicensed or illegal gold mining during the 2019-2025 period reached 25.9 trillion rupiah.
The suspicious transactions are allegedly derived from activities involving the collection and processing of gold from Illegal Mining Operations (PETI) in West Kalimantan and West Papua during the period from 2019 to 2025.
“The investigative team at Dittipideksus Bareskrim Polri is conducting investigations into allegations of mining law violations, specifically activities involving the collection, utilisation, processing and refinement, transportation and sale of gold from illegal mining operations, and money laundering offences,” Ade Safri said in Sidoarjo, East Java, on Thursday (12 March).
Ade stated that the raids in February 2026 were conducted at five different locations, including Semar Gold Shop in Nganjuk, a residence on Jalan Tampomas in Surabaya, and the offices of gold refining companies PT IGS and PT SJL in Surabaya.
From these locations, investigators seized evidence including invoices, order letters, transit documents, purchase and sale transaction records and electronic evidence. Additionally, jewellery weighing 8.16 kilogrammes and gold bars weighing 51.3 kilogrammes were seized, estimated to have a market value of approximately 150 billion rupiah.
Cash was also seized, consisting of Indonesian rupiah totalling 6.177 billion rupiah and foreign currency of US$60,000, equivalent to approximately 960 million rupiah.
“Gold jewellery in various forms was also seized, with a total weight of 8.16 kg. Gold bars were also seized, with a total weight of approximately 51.3 kg. The estimated value is approximately 150 billion rupiah, subject to current gold price fluctuations,” Ade Safri said.
“Additionally, cash totalling 7.13 billion rupiah was seized from the raid at the Tampomas residence in Surabaya, comprising Indonesian rupiah of 6.177 billion rupiah and foreign currency of US$60,000, approximately 960 million rupiah,” he added.
After holding a case review meeting on 27 February 2026, Ade Safri stated that investigators formally designated three individuals as suspects: TW, DW and BSW. All three are being charged with multiple counts, including money laundering laws under a semi-standalone money laundering approach.
“In this case, investigators have not only uncovered allegations relating to mining law violations. Investigators have also employed an approach to uncovering money laundering offences using the semi-standalone money laundering concept. This is an enforcement approach to money laundering offences that permits a person to be prosecuted and convicted of money laundering even if the predicate offence or underlying crime has not yet been proven in court,” he explained.
Ade Safri emphasised that investigations are continuing and it is not ruled out that additional suspects may be designated as the involvement of other parties in the illegal gold trading network is further explored.