Customs at Soekarno-Hatta Foil Rp63 Billion Gold Smuggling Attempt
Customs at Soekarno-Hatta, together with Aviation Security (Avsec), successfully thwarted two gold export smuggling attempts at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on 11 August 2026. In an operation lasting less than 24 hours, officers secured a total of 23.793 kilograms of gold with an estimated market value of Rp63 billion.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa emphasised the importance of enhancing Customs capabilities in the face of increasingly diverse smuggling methods. “Customs, as the guardian of Indonesia’s border, must continuously improve its capabilities and always stay one step ahead. We must not let smugglers adapt faster than we do,” Purbaya stated on Thursday (13/8).
The first enforcement action targeted a network of passengers bound for Hong Kong via flights CX798 and GA860. Officers detained seven passengers, including a Chinese national, who used extreme methods such as concealing egg-shaped gold in their genital and rectal areas (inserter), as well as hiding it in modified underpants. A total of 17.436 kilograms of gold worth Rp46 billion was seized from this group.
The second case was uncovered when officers detected the involvement of an airport ground handling staff member. The perpetrator used a special employee lane or loading dock to hand over gold to passengers heading to Dubai (flight EK357). Officers seized seven cast gold bars weighing 6.357 kilograms, worth Rp17 billion, stored in a backpack and cabin suitcase.
Testing using an XRF Mineral Detector showed that all the gold had a purity of 99.99 percent, or 24 carats. The perpetrators now face charges under Article 102A letter a of Law Number 17 of 2006 concerning Customs, related to criminal acts of export smuggling.
Purbaya added that supervision now relies not only on physical checks but also on enhanced risk analysis and inter-agency synergy. Customs at Soekarno-Hatta is currently coordinating with the Criminal Investigation Agency of the National Police and the Directorate General of Minerals and Coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to trace the origin of the gold.
The government also reminded that gold exports must comply with Minister of Finance Regulation Number 203/PMK.04/2017 and Minister of Finance Regulation Number 80 of 2025 concerning Export Duty. The public is urged to always report the carrying of gold abroad to ensure export activities are conducted legally and transparently.