Bareskrim Uncovers Illegal Cyanide Trade from China

The Directorate of Economic and Special Crimes (Dittipideksus) of the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) has uncovered a case of illegal sodium cyanide trading. The chemical is suspected to have been distributed from China. ‘Based on the investigation, it was found that business actors are suspected of trading cyanide without the required permits in accordance with applicable regulations. The goods were distributed or circulated to actors in the mining sector without going through the distribution and supervision mechanisms established by the government,’ said Dirtipideksus Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Ade Safri Simanjuntak, in a statement on Wednesday (1/7/2026). In uncovering this case, Dittipideksus Bareskrim Polri conducted searches at several locations suspected of being storage and distribution sites and successfully found and secured 362 drums of cyanide, or 18.1 tonnes, from three locations in Bekasi and West Jakarta. ‘Based on initial findings, during the period from 2024 to 2026, the business actors are suspected of having carried out illegal distribution activities reaching approximately 840.1 tonnes, or a total of 16,802 drums of illegal cyanide, worth IDR 840.1 billion to unlicensed gold miners (PETI),’ he stated. From these findings, Brigadier General Ade suspects that this criminal act was not incidental but is suspected to have been carried out in a structured and continuous manner, necessitating serious handling to dismantle the entire distribution network. ‘The total evidence secured amounts to 362 drums or 18.1 tonnes of cyanide with an estimated value reaching IDR 14,555,268,000. This evidence is related to the alleged criminal act of trading and/or consumer protection violations committed by conducting business activities trading hazardous materials in the form of cyanide without meeting business licensing requirements and/or not in accordance with statutory provisions,’ he explained. In this case, Bareskrim Polri investigators are applying layered charges in accordance with applicable legal provisions. These include Article 106 in conjunction with Article 24 Paragraph (1) of Law Number 7 of 2024, as amended by Article 46 of Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning the Stipulation of Law Number 2 of 2022 on Job Creation. Additionally, Bareskrim is also applying Article 62 in conjunction with Article 8 Paragraph (1) of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection. The perpetrators face a penalty of five years’ imprisonment or a fine of IDR 10 billion. ‘Bareskrim Polri will investigate this case thoroughly, starting from the importation route, the use of licensing documents, the distribution process, to the parties who receive, trade, or use Sodium Cyanide unlawfully. The investigation is also directed at uncovering the possibility of an organised network profiting from the trade in these hazardous chemicals,’ he added.