Bareskrim uncovers illegal gold smuggling by Indian nationals

The Directorate of Special Crimes (Dittipidter) of the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) has uncovered a case of alleged illegal gold smuggling by Indian nationals through raids on two apartment units in the Sunter area of North Jakarta in the early hours of Sunday.

“There are indeed still many [suspects] roaming around the Sunter area. However, we managed to secure two people,” said the Director of Special Crimes at Bareskrim, Brigadier General Mohammad Irhamni, in a video statement received by ANTARA.

Irhamni explained that from the search of the first apartment unit, investigators found 2.5 kilograms of gold in the form of two gold bars weighing 1 kilogram each and a gold ring weighing 0.5 kilograms. The evidence was found inside a safe.

Meanwhile, in the second apartment unit, investigators found gold processing equipment, 18 pieces of gold processing residue weighing approximately 18 kilograms, as well as cash in rupiah and US dollars.

He said the syndicate had been operating for about two months and produced approximately 30 kilograms per day. The processed gold was to be smuggled to Dubai.

“This processing operation receives gold from various regions that is deposited or sold to this apartment in the Sunter area. It is then processed before they smuggle it to Dubai,” he said.

He noted that investigators are currently also pursuing gold smuggling syndicates operating to other countries.

The one-star police general said the two Indian nationals who were detained entered Indonesia using passports for investors or trade purposes.

The police, he said, will coordinate with the Indian Embassy in Indonesia regarding the next legal steps.

“We will coordinate on what the policy will be, whether we carry out law enforcement and detention in Indonesia or proceed with deportation and so on. But the Indonesian perpetrators will certainly be pursued, subjected to law enforcement and detained,” said Irhamni.