Customs Uncovers New Smuggling Method: Liquid Methamphetamine Soaked into Books and Certificates
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — The Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) is using X-ray scanners to inspect all consignments entered into the Consignment Note (CN) notification system, including documents.
The measure is intended to strengthen oversight and prevent smuggling through consignments of all kinds.
Nogi Setiawan, a supervisor in the Enforcement and Investigation Division’s Patrol and Operations Section 1 at Soekarno-Hatta Customs, explained that X-ray checks are carried out after consignments enter the system. He said not only parcels containing goods are inspected; documents, which may previously have been considered low-risk, are also scanned.
“All consignments, including documents. Documents are X-rayed too. You might logically ask why documents need to be X-rayed, but it turns out many have been used to smuggle goods,” Nogi said during PINTAR Kepabeanan on Wednesday (21 October 2026).
He said there had been several cases in which documents were used to smuggle narcotics. The discoveries show that smuggling can involve consignments of many different kinds, so inspections cannot focus solely on parcels containing goods. Nogi recounted a case in which X-ray screening detected methamphetamine concealed inside a book.
“The discovery was in a book. Books have a zero per cent import duty, so we might assume they would pass through X-ray screening. But the book looked odd on the scan, with an unnatural-looking box. When we checked it, the inside had been cut into a box shape and contained methamphetamine. That is one example,” Nogi said.
Even more extraordinary, he said, was the smuggling of liquid narcotics absorbed into the paper of a certificate.
He explained that officers became suspicious because the paper seemed unusual and had numerous stains, prompting an X-ray check. Subsequent investigation and testing at the airport laboratory confirmed their suspicions.
“Imagine, a certificate document can be infused with cocaine or liquid methamphetamine. A sheet certificate would normally be classified as a document and, until now, would likely have been given the green light. It turns out the method involves soaking the certificate, with narcotics inside it,” he said.
“We became suspicious because the certificate was odd: the paper was stained and looked unusual. It turned out narcotics had been absorbed into it,” he added.
In practice, officers examine X-ray images to identify suspicious features. If they find signs of an inconsistency, they can follow up with a more detailed inspection.
Nogi said consignment oversight involves several parties, not only field officers from the Enforcement and Investigation Division (P2). Document researchers and analysts also assess whether the shipment information, the sender’s and recipient’s identities, and the declared goods are consistent.
The results of this analysis can prompt officers to pay closer attention to particular consignments. Checks therefore take place in several layers, from document analysis to a physical inspection where necessary.
In addition, consignments that have been scanned undergo routing and document review in accordance with procedures. Shipments that meet the requirements may be cleared for release, while those requiring clarification or deemed suspicious may be subject to further inspection.
Nogi said the central principle of oversight was to recognise that any consignment could pose a risk, regardless of its form or type.
The X-ray screening of all consignments is part of Customs’ efforts to strengthen oversight of goods flows and detect potential violations at the earliest stage of inspection.