Police Anti-Smuggling Task Force Uncovers Import Cases, Saves State Funds of Nearly IDR 1 Trillion

The Law Enforcement Task Force against Smuggling Crimes (Satgas Gakkum Lundup) of the Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police has saved state finances of nearly IDR 1 trillion from various illegal import cases. This success was achieved during two months of work. The task force was established by National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo in April 2026, in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s vision to crack down on cases related to illegal imports. “This law enforcement is a tangible commitment by the National Police to maintain national economic stability, protect domestic industry, and ensure all trade and import activities in Indonesia operate according to the prevailing legal force,” said the Director of Special Economic Crimes at Bareskrim, Brigadier General Ade Safri Simanjuntak, to reporters on Sunday (28/6/2026). Among the cases uncovered by the task force was the smuggling of used iPhones and Android handsets. From raids at four locations in Penjaringan and Pluit, North Jakarta, and Sidoarjo, East Java, on 15 and 16 April, investigators seized approximately 50,000 iPhone and Android units along with spare parts, LCDs, batteries, and other components valued at up to IDR 250 billion. Police also seized 256,300 units of baby equipment and children’s toys worth around IDR 3 billion. Investigators have named four suspects: DCP alias PT, SJ, TW (Director of PT TSI), and MT (Director of PT TSL). On 17 April, the task force also raided two warehouses in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, seizing 23 tonnes of garlic, shallots, and dried chillies shipped from China, India, and the Netherlands. The goods were suspected to have entered without official quarantine documents, import documents, or valid trade documents. Ade stated the estimated business turnover reached IDR 24 billion per year. Previously, in December 2025, police also seized 846 bales of used clothing from South Korea worth IDR 3.5 billion in Tabanan Regency, Bali. In this illegal import case, two suspects with the initials ZT and SB were arrested. “The total illegal import transactions carried out by the two suspects during the period from 2021 to 2025 reached IDR 669 billion,” he said. From these criminal acts, the task force is also investigating money laundering offences, seizing seven buses, one Pajero vehicle, and other assets worth IDR 22 billion from the two suspects. Ade explained the task force’s operational targets include all criminal acts related to smuggling, both illegal exports and imports, including the smuggling of natural resources and environmental products, whether conducted through or outside customs areas. The modus operandi frequently used by perpetrators involves falsifying permit documents through underinvoicing, under-accounting, and misdeclaration.