Customs seizes protected items

TANGERANG (JP): Soekarno-Hatta International Airport customs and excise officers handed over to the Ministry of Education 146 prehistoric items which they prevented from being smuggled out of the country.

The head of the airport's customs and excise office, Tonny Soenanto, said that on Sept. 11 customs officers became suspicious of luggage containing articles such as necklaces, sculptures and bowls.

"The owner of the luggage, identified as Irwan Holmes, was about to leave aboard China Airlines flight number CI-678 to the United States," Tonny said.

Holmes was reportedly detained shortly after his luggage was inspected at 12 p.m. at the terminal D boarding gate.

Holmes claimed to be an artist, Tonny said, adding that the confiscated items, believed to be between 800 and 3,000 years old, were categorized as protected objects under Law No.5/1992 on Cultural and Prehistoric Items.

The suspect was in direct violation of article 15 of the law, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and/or a Rp 100 million fine, Tonny said. (41/edt)