Indonesian Navy Uncovers Warehouse Containing 16 Tonnes of Illegal Tin Sand in Banten, Suspected for Export
The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has uncovered a warehouse containing 16 tonnes of illegal tin sand in the Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) 2 area, Tangerang, Banten. The illegal tin sand is suspected of being intended for export abroad.
Commander of the Indonesian Fleet (Pangkoarmada RI) Laksda TNI Denih Hendrata initially outlined the achievements from January 2025 to May 2026. Based on the Koarmada RI vulnerability map analysis, various potential threats and legal violations exist in Indonesian waters.
“Among them are illegal trading, narcotics, illegal fishing, illegal mining, human trafficking, fuel smuggling, piracy, and various other maritime crimes scattered across national strategic areas, from the Malacca Strait, ALKI 1 to ALKI 3, the Sulawesi Sea, to the waters of Papua,” said Laksda TNI Denih during a press conference at Koarmada, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (12/5).
He stated that throughout 2025, TNI AL through Koarmada RI and its ranks successfully thwarted various smuggling and maritime crimes. The total value reached Rp14.7 trillion.
“With a total economic value saved for the state of over Rp14.7 trillion. And successfully saving 24.5 million lives from various threats, especially the misuse of narcotics,” he added.
Regarding the smuggling of illegal tin sand, it began on Thursday (7/5/2026) from information from the Strategic Intelligence Agency Task Force (Satgas Bais) and the Intel Team of Lanal Tanjung Balai Karimun. This concerned the shipment of two trucks carrying 16 tonnes of tin sand from Tanjung Balai Karimun to Jakarta.
Upon arrival in Palembang, the Palembang Lanal Intelligence Team detected that the goods were not directed to Bangka. After continued monitoring, the movement of the two trucks reached Lanal Lampung.
“From the Lanal Lampung intelligence ranks, they also monitored that the goods had already entered a ship and would cross to Java. Then, the Banten Lanal Intel Team also continued to monitor the movement of the two trucks,” said Deputy Commander of Kodaeral III Brigjen TNI Dian Suryansyah.
Dian said the trucks would not be problematic if entering a tin smelting company in Cilegon. However, the two trucks did not go to Cilegon but continued to PT SIB in PIK, Jakarta.
“And we continued to monitor that the two trucks did not stop in Cilegon, continuing to Jakarta, arriving at the PT SIB warehouse in the PIK Jakarta area. This means the two trucks carrying 16 tonnes of tin sand were not in the processing or purification operation area for tin sand, but instead in the Jakarta city area,” he explained.
The Kodaeral III Intelligence Team then carried out enforcement. The two trucks carrying 16 tonnes of tin sand were brought to the Kodaeral III Headquarters for further examination.
Dian mentioned the company carrying the illegal tin sand was PT Tambang Wancheng Indonesia. However, no legality of ownership documents were found for transporting the goods.
“Then we only found one auction minutes document from KPKNL indicating PT Mineral Anugerah Semesta (MAS) as the auction winner. And that means the goods do not belong to PT Wancheng. We also attempted to investigate alleged violations of Minerba trade regulations, coordinating with ESDM, and up to today, four days after the seizure, we have not received the goods handover minutes which is the legality of handover from KPKNL to PT MAS,” he said.
“But in reality, the goods were brought down to Java, Jakarta, and not in the tin sand purification operation area. This means there is another plan possibly from PT Wancheng Indonesia regarding the tin sand brought to Jakarta. Thus, we can conclude that there is a preliminary suspicion of possible illegal actions regarding these goods,” he added.
TNI AL handed over the case to ESDM PPNS investigators regarding minerba goods issues. He said the two trucks carrying tin sand were suspected of being intended for illegal export abroad.
“Regarding the enforcement we have carried out, as mentioned earlier, it is to prevent any possibility of illegal export abroad of tin sand,” he stated.
On the same occasion, Director of Prevention, Intelligence, and Complaint Handling of Ditjen Gakkum ESDM Yuli Sulistyohadi said the modus operandi used in mining crimes involves documents that appear legal but are actually illegal.
“So, some modi often used in mining crimes, this is a story from elsewhere, using documents that seem legal, but turn out to be illegal,” he said.
“Well, this is the importance of seizures by other parties which we then process through investigation, then case assembly, and if worthy to be elevated to investigation level, we raise it to investigation level. So, don’t get trapped by what appears or is found. This is what requires further processing,” he concluded.