Nokia phone smuggling scam sets off alarm bells

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Blora Center, an independent body that monitors reports from the public on corruption and abuse of power, revealed that thousands of smuggled Nokia cellular phones have flocked the local market.

"Ships that transported five containers filled with various types of Nokia cell phone, including the latest 9500 Communicator, have been arriving at Tanjung Priok port since last month," Blora Center director Jusuf Rizal told a press conference on Wednesday.

Importer PT Sondang Marsinan Abadi (SMA) had claimed in its import documentation that it was importing auto parts instead of cell phones, he added.

The Blora Center, through its P.O. Box 909, which is reserved for public complaints, has received copies of the import documentation.

"I believe they are valid," Rizal said. "The first three containers arrived here on board the ACX Magnolia on Oct. 18, Oct. 20 and Oct. 26 respectively."

Due to inconsistencies between the actual contents of the containers and the documentation, customs officers at Tanjung Priok port claimed to have sent back the goods to the exporter.

"Our sources say that custom officials canceled the import documentation and instructed the goods to be returned to the exporter. Customs regulations, however, say that officers should have confiscated the goods," Rizal said.

"We suspected the involvement of some customs officers at the port in the smuggling racket. So, we decided to conduct our own investigation and the results confirmed the reports we had received," he added.

The other two containers arrived on the New Dynamic on Nov. 2. "The last two are still in Tanjung Priok. They are also believed to contain Nokia cell phones," Rizal said.

A spokesman for the customs service, Susiwiyono, told The Jakarta Post that officials at the port had confirmed the presence of two containers imported by PT SMA.

"They have found there are indications that customs regulations have been violated. We have placed both containers under customs service supervision," he said.

The customs service's prevention department in Tanjung Priok, Sutejo, told the Post that both containers had been "sealed" since Nov. 2. "We are still investigating whether customs violations have occurred."

However, he refused to confirm whether the containers contained Nokia cell phones.

Both Susiwiyono and Sutejo declined to say if the three containers had been sent back to the exporter.

"Only two containers have been imported by PT SMA, not five," Susiwiyono said.