Customs Chief Uncovers 3.37-Tonne Narcotics Smuggling Operation Detected via X-Ray
The Directorate General of Customs and Excise, together with the National Narcotics Board (BNN), has dismantled an international narcotics smuggling network. This network is suspected of operating through Malaysia, China, Indonesia, and Thailand, utilising official import channels to bring narcotics into Indonesia.
“This is an international network involving Malaysia, China, and Indonesia, via Thailand,” stated the Director General of Customs and Excise, Djaka Budhi Utama, during a press conference in Gresik, East Java, on Friday, 3 July 2026.
Djaka noted that the smuggling was uncovered when officers discovered suspicious items during X-ray inspections of imported goods at Tanjung Priok Port. Upon finding the suspicious commodities, officers immediately conducted further inspections. Based on the testing results, the goods were confirmed to be narcotics.
Subsequently, Customs coordinated with the BNN to organise the next enforcement steps. Rather than conducting an immediate seizure at the port, authorities decided to implement a controlled delivery method. This strategy was employed to trace the recipient network to its final destination and to uncover all parties involved in the smuggling.
“We did not carry out arrests immediately at the port. If we had taken that step, we certainly would not have obtained information regarding the network behind it. Therefore, we coordinated closely with the BND to perform a controlled delivery until the shipment arrived in Gresik,” Djaka explained.
Djaka explained that the joint operation involved personnel from both Customs and the BNN, who monitored the container’s journey from its departure at Tanjung Priok Port until it reached a warehouse in Gresik, East Java. Through this operation, authorities successfully dismantled the smuggling network and secured evidence of 3.37 tonnes of cannabinoid flower buds transported in four containers.
The discovery complements previous BNN operation results, which stated that this smuggling utilised a new modus operandi by using seemingly legitimate customs documents to deceive officers.
According to him, the coordination established from the initial inspection stage through to the shipment monitoring process was the primary factor in the success of the authorities in dismantling this international network. Finally, Djaka urged the public to play an active role in the fight against narcotics, including increasing vigilance against various forms of illegal smuggling.