Ministers in action nabbing smugglers

Minister of Finance Jusuf Anwar (right) and Minister of Trade Mari E. Pangestu (center) listen to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise head of investigations Sofjan Perman while onboard a patrol boat in waters off the Riau Islands.

The three were part of a team of patrol boats that intercepted a 100-ton barge, the Bulan Purnama, trying to smuggle rice, sugar and used clothes into the country.

The boat's six crew were detained and taken to the local customs office on Karimun Island for questioning.

Customs officials said smuggling was common in the vast area of more than 3,000 islands, which was patrolled by only 43 boats.

Last year, customs officers brought 122 smuggling cases to court, mostly involving illegal sugar imports and timber exports. For the first seven months of this year, officers were involved in 67 cases.

-- JP/Zakki P. Hakim