Customs at Soekarno-Hatta Airport Foil Three Drug Smuggling Attempts

The Soekarno-Hatta Airport Customs Office in Tangerang, Banten, has successfully dismantled three narcotics smuggling operations through the international airport between March and June 2026. The cases involved the smuggling of methamphetamine, marijuana, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or hashish. The discoveries were the result of collaboration between Customs, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), and the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police’s narcotics unit. The first enforcement action took place on Thursday, 26 March, at the airport’s cargo terminal, where officers found a shipment from the United States destined for Bali. The package, declared as luggage, was found to contain 10,785 grams (gross) of marijuana using false concealment. The second case occurred on Wednesday, 29 April, at Terminal 2E for domestic departures. Officers apprehended two Indonesian passengers, identified as NF (22) and C (20), who were about to board a flight to Kendari. They are suspected of acting as couriers for a domestic network, hiding 4,000 grams of methamphetamine inside a blanket in their luggage. The third enforcement action took place on Wednesday, 3 June, at Terminal 3, where a foreign national identified as KK (52) was detained upon arrival from Thailand. The passenger is suspected of being a courier who concealed 7,800 grams of hashish in a false compartment at the bottom of a suitcase. After further investigation, the net weight was calculated at 3,006 grams. These operations are estimated to have saved approximately 22,758 lives and prevented potential state rehabilitation costs of around Rp36.39 billion. All suspects have been charged under Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment. The suspects and evidence have been handed over to BNN and the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police for further investigation.