Customs Seize 43 Containers of Illegal Used Clothing Imports Worth Rp 37.5 Billion

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, together with the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance, has successfully seized 43 containers of illegally imported used clothing at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta. Similar enforcement actions were also carried out at two warehouse locations in West Kalimantan, which are suspected of being storage sites for the illegal used clothing imports. “The total load in the 43 containers is estimated to reach 4,687 bales, with an economic value of approximately Rp 37.5 billion,” Purbaya said at Tanjung Priok Port, North Jakarta, on Tuesday, 23 June 2026. Purbaya explained that the discovery at Tanjung Priok stemmed from initial information received on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, regarding a suspected shipment of illegally imported used clothing aboard the KM Eden Mas. The vessel was detected sailing the route from Dwikora Port (Pontianak) to Tanjung Priok Port (North Jakarta). The information reported that the KM Eden Mas cargo included 268 containers, of which 222 were empty. However, the remaining 46 containers were recorded as carrying instant noodles, general cargo, and household goods. Upon inspection, it was found that 43 of these containers were actually transporting illegally imported used clothing. “As of 22 June 2026, the examination of 19 containers uncovered 2,067 ballpress bales containing clothing, shoes, accessories, and used bags,” Purbaya stated. Purbaya stressed that legal action against this violation will not stop at the seizure of the goods. Customs authorities are still pursuing the parties responsible for the illegal import of the used clothing. “The legal process will continue until we succeed in uncovering the entire chain of import, storage, and distribution of these illegally imported used clothes,” he said.