Indonesian Navy foils mercury smuggling attempt disguised as spare parts

The Indonesian Navy, through the Navy Regional Command (Kodaeral) III, has thwarted an attempt to smuggle liquid mercury from Maluku to Jakarta by disguising it as spare parts. Vice Admiral Uki Prasetia, Commander of Kodaeral III, stated that the interception took place on Tuesday (2/6).

Speaking at a press conference at the Kodaeral III Headquarters in North Jakarta on Monday, Uki noted that the operation was carried out following coordination and cooperation between the Indonesian Navy’s Pelni Security Team. Officers were inspecting cargo and passengers aboard the KM Nggapulu, travelling from Maluku to Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, when they became suspicious of a container covered by a blue tarp in the ship’s cargo hold.

Upon verifying the container’s documentation against its contents, officers discovered a discrepancy. While the manifest listed the item as spare parts arriving from Namlea, the inspection revealed 42 canisters containing mercury. The illegal goods were immediately seized.

At this stage, Uki could not confirm the identity of the suppliers or the recipients of the illegal shipment, nor the parties involved in the operation. However, he emphasised that such smuggling activities cause significant harm to the public and the state. Based on export market prices for mercury, which range from Rp2,400,000 to Rp2,800,000 per kilogram, the estimated state loss in this case is approximately Rp1.5 billion. Uki expressed hope that the police would conduct a thorough investigation and reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to eradicating all forms of illegal smuggling via maritime routes.