Criminal Investigation Police Raid Three Companies Involved in Illegal Gold Money Laundering in Surabaya-Sidoarjo
Indonesian police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate (Dittipideksus) of the Bareskrim Polri conducted coordinated raids across three separate locations in Surabaya and Sidoarjo, East Java.
Brigadier General Ade Safri Simanjuntak, Director of the Special Economic Crime Directorate of Bareskrim Polri, stated that the raids represent a significant development in investigations into alleged money laundering (TPPU) connected to illegal gold trading that has caused state losses totalling trillions of Rupiah.
The simultaneous raids targeted three major companies engaged in gold refining and trading operations. “Today, investigators from the Special Economic Crime Directorate of Polri conducted forced searches at three locations comprising gold refining and trading companies in Surabaya city and Sidoarjo Regency, East Java Province,” Ade Safri said in Sidoarjo on 12 March.
The three companies raided were PT SJU, PT IGS, and PT SJL, which are suspected of involvement in the distribution and refining processes of gold under investigation by Bareskrim Polri.
The raids form part of an investigation into alleged money laundering related to unlicensed gold mining (PETI). This operation represents an expansion of an illegal mining case from Pontianak, West Kalimantan, strengthened by a Suspicious Transaction Analysis Report (LHA) from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) concerning transactions valued at Rp25.8 trillion.
According to Ade Safri, illegal mining activities originally occurred in West Kalimantan during 2019 to 2022. The case has achieved final and binding legal force (inkrah) at Pontianak District Court, with the main convict bearing the initials FL and dozens of other defendants.
However, Ade Safri stated that his team is now conducting a follow-up investigation targeting massive transaction accumulations connected to the illegal mining operations.
These raids also represent a continuation of similar operations conducted by Bareskrim Polri at gold shops and residences in Surabaya and Nganjuk, East Java, in February 2026.
Ade Safri emphasised that the raids at these three new locations were conducted to gather evidence that would clarify the criminal offences that occurred.
Three suspects have so far been named in the case, though the investigation continues to identify other parties suspected of involvement in the network. “In order to search for and gather evidence that will clarify whether the criminal acts occurred, three suspects have been formally named in this case, and it does not rule out the possibility that we are currently investigating the involvement of other parties,” he stated.
The investigation in Surabaya and Sidoarjo is directed at proving illegal practices in the refining process and the gold trading mechanism. Police suspect irregularities in the trading practices conducted by the three companies.
“The three companies mentioned above were subject to forced raids to strengthen evidence regarding the refining process and the illegal gold trading practices,” Ade Safri said.