Customs Seals Four Illegal Yachts from Malaysia-Singapore Valued at Rp40 Billion

The Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance (DJBC) has once again seized four illegal luxury yachts that entered Indonesian waters and were traded covertly. The sealing of these four luxury vessels was carried out after a joint team from the North Jakarta Customs Region Office and the North Jakarta Tax Directorate General Office conducted import supervision of foreign tourist vessels at Pantai Mutiara, North Jakarta. “From the initial examination, out of the six vessels we inspected, we sealed four,” said the Head of Enforcement Section II of the Jakarta Customs Region Office, Siswo Kristyanto, in a written statement on Friday (10/4/2026). According to the North Jakarta Customs Directorate General, these four vessels are foreign tourist ships that received temporary import facilities, in the form of exemptions from import duties and taxes. The yachts were originally intended for recreational activities by tourists in Indonesian territory. “However, to date, there is suspicion that the facility has been abused, as the vessels have been rented or sold to Indonesian citizens, thereby avoiding import duty and tax collections,” he revealed. Siswo detailed that the four sealed foreign tourist vessels consist of two units from Malaysia and two from Singapore. Meanwhile, the two unsealed vessels have been administratively examined and found to have proper customs documentation. Currently, the Customs Directorate General, together with the Tax Directorate General, is investigating the amount of state losses caused by the alleged violation of import duty and tax regulations for these foreign tourist vessels. However, he estimated that one small-sized yacht is priced around Rp10 billion. Thus, the estimated total value reaches Rp40 billion. “We urge business actors to comply with regulations in both customs and taxation fields. We will continue to monitor foreign tourist vessels that we suspect and find to be in violation,” he stated. Previously, Jakarta Customs also inspected 82 private cruise ships or yachts currently in the waters and docked at Batavia Marina two weeks ago. The Head of the Jakarta Customs Region Office, Hendri Darnadi, emphasised that the inspection is part of efforts to optimise state revenue from the circulation of luxury goods, eradicate the underground economy, and enforce fiscal equity for citizens. “The lower class, SMEs, even those buying motorbikes for their work, such as online motorcycle taxis, still pay duties and taxes, fulfilling their obligations from the motorbikes they buy. Should those buying high-value goods and luxury items not pay according to their obligations?” said Hendri.