Customs Explains Controversial Pokémon Card Inspection at Soekarno-Hatta Airport
A woman with the initials JES sparked online debate after questioning a Customs officer’s inspection of her Pokémon cards at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, which she had purchased abroad. Customs has now issued a statement addressing the incident.
Customs explained the sequence of events during the inspection of JES at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. Initially, Customs officers inspected JES’s luggage upon arrival from overseas.
Customs stated that the inspection was carried out following indications from an X-ray scan which showed a large number of Pokémon cards in the passenger’s suitcase.
Customs referred to Finance Minister Regulation (PMK) Number 34 of 2025 concerning Provisions for Export and Import of Goods Carried by Passengers and Crew. It states that all imported goods carried by passengers must be declared to Customs officers to fulfill customs obligations.
“According to applicable regulations, each passenger is entitled to a duty-free allowance of USD 500 per person for personal items. However, this exemption does not apply if the goods are categorized as commercial goods,” Customs said in a statement on its official Instagram account @beacukairi, Sunday (May 17, 2026).
Based on X-ray images and risk management systems, Customs detected strong indications of ‘jastip’ (personal shopping service) activity. Customs then conducted a thorough inspection of JES’s belongings.
“The indication of ‘jastip’ was based on travel data showing that the passenger in question made frequent overseas trips within a short period of time, as well as monitoring based on risk analysis of offers for foreign goods on her social media account,” Customs said.
“From the thorough inspection, it was found that passenger JES was carrying a significant number of Pokémon cards. As officers tasked with protecting state rights through revenue collection, confirmation and verification were carried out on the passenger and the items she was carrying to prove their purchase and use,” it added.
Soekarno-Hatta Customs stated that certain Pokémon cards can be sold for between IDR 100 thousand and IDR 100 million, with some reaching IDR 1.5 billion. During the confirmation process, the passenger stated that the items were gifts or souvenirs and not for resale, and showed proof of purchase (invoice).
“After verifying the data, officers concluded that the goods were personal belongings. On this basis, the goods were exempted from import duties and taxes, and the passenger continued her journey,” Customs said.
Customs denied allegations that it had intimidated the passenger during the inspection process.
“Regarding the narrative circulating that the passenger was crying due to intimidation, this is not true. In carrying out customs regulations, we always prioritize integrity, professionalism, and respect for the rights and obligations of every citizen,” it explained.