Customs Foils Two Gold Smuggling Attempts Worth IDR 63 Billion in Under 24 Hours
In less than 24 hours, Customs and Excise at Soekarno-Hatta, together with Aviation Security (Avsec) at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, foiled two attempts to smuggle gold exports through Terminal 3. From the two operations carried out on 11 August 2026, officers secured a total of 23.793 kilograms of gold with an estimated market value of IDR 63 billion.
The two cases employed different methods, demonstrating the increasingly diverse ways used to evade supervision. In the first operation, gold was concealed in various ways, including being inserted into the body, hidden in modified clothing, through body strapping, and stored in hand-carry luggage.
In the second operation, gold was brought through the airport’s operational lanes by exploiting ground handling staff, to be subsequently handed over to a passenger in the international departure area.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa asserted that Customs, as Indonesia’s border guard, needs to continuously enhance its capabilities and adapt to evolving smuggling methods.
“Customs, as the guardian of Indonesia’s borders, must continuously improve its capabilities and always stay one step ahead in anticipating the ever-evolving methods of smuggling. We must not let smugglers adapt faster than we do,” the Finance Minister stated.
The first operation began with synergy between Aviation Security (Avsec) and Customs officers, who discovered suspected gold being carried in a hand-carry bag by a Chinese national passenger at Terminal 3 Departures. Upon inspection, officers found cylindrical or egg-shaped gold inside the hand-carry bag.
During the deepening process, Avsec and Customs officers again identified another passenger based on an anomaly in the body scanner results. An examination of that passenger uncovered cylindrical gold hidden inside modified underpants.
Subsequently, the Customs Team conducted passenger data analysis (Passenger Analysis Unit/PAU) and found suspected links between the two passengers and other passengers on two flights bound for Hong Kong, namely CX798 and GA860. Five passengers suspected of being connected were then detained for more in-depth examination.
From this series of examinations, officers discovered egg-shaped gold using the method of insertion into the genital and rectal areas, as well as gold hidden inside modified underpants. Overall, officers detained seven passengers with 41 pieces of gold weighing a total of 17.436 kilograms and an estimated market value of IDR 46 billion. All the gold seized showed a purity of 99.99 percent or 24 carats based on testing using an XRF Mineral Detector.
Based on the case review, the seven passengers met the elements of the criminal act of smuggling in the export sector as referred to in Article 102A letter a of Law Number 17 of 2006 concerning Amendments to Law Number 10 of 1995 concerning Customs.
Less than 24 hours later, officers again foiled a gold smuggling attempt. A ground handling staff member was found carrying gold through a special employee lane or loading dock to be handed over to a passenger bound for Dubai on flight EK357.
Upon examination, seven pieces of cast bar gold weighing 6.357 kilograms with an estimated market value of IDR 17 billion were found stored in a backpack and cabin suitcase without customs documents.
The Finance Minister stressed that customs supervision cannot rely solely on physical checks, but must combine technology, risk analysis, data utilisation, field surveillance, and cross-agency synergy.
“What we are facing is not just who is carrying the goods. We need to see where the goods came from, how they were carried, to whom they will be handed over, and who else is involved. Therefore, technology, risk analysis, passenger data, field surveillance, and cross-agency synergy must be continuously strengthened,” the Finance Minister said.
Overall, from the two operations, Customs secured 23.793 kilograms of gold with an estimated market value of IDR 63 billion. For case development and tracing the origin of the gold, Soekarno-Hatta Customs is synergising with the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) and the Directorate General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
The government reminds the public that carrying gold abroad must comply with applicable customs provisions and export regulations. Provisions for passenger carry-on goods are regulated, among others, through Minister of Finance Regulation (PMK) Number 203/PMK.04/2017 as amended by PMK Number 34 of 2025. Additionally, since 23 December 2025, PMK Number 80 of 2025 has been in effect, regulating certain types of gold export goods subject to Export Duty.
Members of the public intending to carry gold abroad are urged to submit a declaration to Customs officers, ensure Export Duty obligations are met, and comply with prohibition and restriction provisions. The government continues to strengthen supervision while providing education so that export activities and the carriage of goods abroad are conducted legally, transparently, and in accordance with regulations.