Customs seize Rp 2.09b in cash

TANGERANG (JP): Soekarno-Hatta International Airport customs and excise officials have foiled an attempt to ship cash worth Rp 2.09 billion (US$298,570) in Rp 50,000 notes to Singapore, an official said here on Saturday.

"The money was carried in a suitcase by Luki Lumondo, a resident of Karang Anyar of Sawah Besar subdistrict, Central Jakarta, who was about to board a plane to Singapore on Friday," deputy chief of the Soekarno-Hatta customs and excise office, Tonny Soenanto, told reporters.

The officers were suspicious of the contents of a piece of luggage and checked it at the gate, he said.

Tonny, however, gave no details on the number of suspects arrested.

He said such attempts were subject to charges under Law No. 18/1998 on the removal and import of rupiah to or from the country's territory, a violation which carries an administrative sanction of Rp 1 billion in fines.

"They need a special permit from the Central Bank to do such a huge transfer of money," Tonny said.

Head of the airport's customs and excise office, Heru Santoso, who accompanied Tonny, revealed that his men had also thwarted an attempt to smuggle 527 cobras worth some Rp 79 million to Kuala Lumpur a day earlier.

The finding was made after the officials became suspicious on Thursday afternoon of the contents of 36 boxes which the cobras were in.

"The boxes were stacked in a storage area with the sender listed as PT Wahana Anugrah Bangun Semesta and were about to be loaded on board Singapore Airlines flight 163," Heru said in a media conference.

The cobras were transferred on Saturday to the animal quarantine for temporary care.

Heru said the freight was stamped with labels saying fresh crabs.

"We found fresh crabs in the upper parts of the boxes... but when we checked the lower parts, each floor of the 36 boxes contained cobras," Heru said.

He said Thursday's attempt was the first for snakes bound for Malaysia.

Cobra is a very expensive commodity abroad. Besides its meat and skin, people also use its poison for medicine.

Reports said that cobras sell well in China and other Asian countries where prices can reach an equivalent of Rp 150,000 per kilogram.

Indonesian sale prices are set between Rp 5,000 and Rp 10,000 for each snake, depending on the size.

Cobra is a protected species here and its export and trade are forbidden under Law No.5/1990 on Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation and the Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

"Cobra exporters can also be charged with Law No. 10/1995 on Customs and Excise, which carries fines of Rp 200 million and a sentence of five years in prison," Heru said.

The species is also protected under Law No.16/1992 on Fish, Animal and Plant Quarantine, a violation of which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a Rp 100 million fine.

Heru said on Saturday that in the past three months customs officials also prevented attempts to smuggle 10,000 pirated compact discs (CDs) and video compact discs (VCDs) worth a total of Rp 255 million.

The CDs and VCDs were being transported to other provinces.

Heru did not mention any details on the findings. (41/ylt)