Customs Officer Dies on Duty in Siak Waters
A customs officer, Aditya Waskita Jauhari, died while carrying out export cargo supervision duties in the waters off Tanjung Buton, Siak Regency, Riau, in the early hours of Monday (7/7). The deceased was an officer in the Customs and Excise Service Section III at Pekanbaru Customs and Excise, Riau Regional Office.
Head of the Customs and Excise Public Relations and Outreach Sub-directorate, Budi Prasetiyo, expressed deep sorrow over Aditya’s death while on state duty. “Customs and Excise extends its deepest condolences on the passing of our colleague Aditya Waskita Jauhari. The deceased died while carrying out the state’s mandate in performing customs supervision duties. May Allah SWT accept all his good deeds, forgive his shortcomings, and grant him the best place by His side. To the family left behind, we pray they are given strength, fortitude, and sincerity in facing this trial,” he said.
According to Budi, Aditya’s passing is a great loss to his family, colleagues, and the institution. He confirmed that Customs and Excise will provide assistance to the deceased’s family and continue to coordinate with relevant agencies in handling the incident. “The deceased’s service reminds us that behind customs services and supervision, there are personnel who carry out duties in the field with full dedication and face various risks. We also support a thorough evaluation of this incident so that officer safety becomes a primary concern in every task execution,” he stated.
The tragic incident occurred when Aditya and six others were conducting a final draft survey to inspect the cargo of MV Himala V.195, which was carrying 10,300,000 kilogrammes of palm kernel shell export commodities. The inspection was part of customs supervision for a physical examination request prior to the submission of a Pemberitahuan Ekspor Barang (PEB) by PT Kharisma Inti Mitra Indonesia. The loading process was taking place at the Tanjung Buton Port area, Siak, using the cargo transhipment vessel BG Indo Sukses 130, towed by TB MTS 29.
At around 11.20 pm WIB on Sunday (6/7), the team, consisting of the pompong boat captain, the Chief Officer of MV Himala, a shipping agent, two surveyors, a company representative, and the customs officer, departed on the Gading Pompong boat towards MV Himala to conduct final cargo measurements. However, during the calculation process at the front right side of MV Himala, the pompong boat they were on was allegedly dragged by the current and swept under the operating BG Indo Sukses 130 barge. The collision caused the pompong boat to sink, throwing all passengers into the water.
A joint rescue team immediately conducted a search and rescue operation for all victims. Some passengers were found alive, while the search for other victims continued. Following the search, Aditya Waskita Jauhari was confirmed dead. Customs and Excise also expressed its respect for the deceased’s dedication during his service as a civil servant. Among his colleagues, Aditya is remembered as a dedicated, responsible figure who always carried out his duties with integrity. The incident also serves as a reminder that behind customs services and supervision, there are officers who carry out their duties at ports and in waters, facing significant risks to ensure export activities comply with regulations and to support the smooth flow of Indonesian trade.