Imported Rice Disguised as Chemicals: Customs Uncovers Smuggling Modus Operandi

The Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance has uncovered a scheme involving the disguise of rice and salt during importation. A total of 15 containers, declared as ammonium chloride originating from India, were found to actually contain 202.45 tonnes of rice and 211 tonnes of salt.

The enforcement action was carried out by Tanjung Perak Customs alongside the East Java I Regional Customs Office at Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, on 19 August 2026. The goods have an estimated value of approximately Rp 7.853 billion.

The case began when an import declaration by PT TI was suspected of being inconsistent with the actual contents. Physical inspections and testing at the Surabaya Customs Laboratory subsequently revealed discrepancies between the declared goods and the inspection results.

A similar modus operandi was discovered in Bogor on 7 September 2026. Fifteen containers from India were declared as low-grade salt-chemical used for leather tanning purposes, weighing 420,000 kilograms.

Upon inspection, officers found 194.9 tonnes of rice and 225.4 tonnes of suspected salt. The total value of these goods is estimated to reach Rp 8.006 billion. The case is currently undergoing further investigation and handling.

Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara stated that these enforcement actions are part of an effort to protect the domestic market and local production. “We must protect our market. If rice is smuggled in, it undermines our food self-sufficiency,” Suahasil said during a press conference at the DJBC Headquarters, Jakarta, on Tuesday (22/9/2026).

The Director General of Customs and Excise, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Djaka Budhi Utama, noted several methods of deception identified during these operations. These include misdeclaration, deception through packaging, and strategic cargo arrangement to disguise the true contents.

“Moving forward, the investigation process will be conducted in coordination with the National Police Criminal Investigator Supervisor and the Attorney General’s Office of Indonesia,” said Djaka.

Overall, Customs has secured 30 containers containing rice and salt, as well as 1,435 bales of suspected used imported clothing, across four enforcement actions between August and September 2026. The total economic value of all seized goods is estimated at Rp 27.339 billion.