Police Uncover Syndicate Smuggling 1,727 Fake Vehicles to Timor Leste, Operating Since 2025

Central Java Provincial Police’s Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimsus) has uncovered a large syndicate smuggling illegal motor vehicles to Timor Leste. In this operation, police secured dozens of vehicles obtained from crimes and designated two individuals as suspects.

The case came to light on Wednesday, 15 April 2026, around 04:00 WIB. Officers initially intercepted two suspicious container trucks at the Krapyak Toll Exit and Banyumanik Toll Exit in Semarang.

Upon inspection, the containers were found to contain dozens of motorcycles and cars equipped only with vehicle registration certificates (STNK) and lacking other official documents. Police then expanded the investigation to a warehouse in Bentangan Village, Wonosari, Klaten Regency, which served as a collection point.

Police designated two suspects in this case: AT (49), a resident of Klaten, who acted as the financier, warehouse owner, and direct liaison with buyers in Timor Leste.

Then SS (52), a resident of South Jakarta, who served as the intermediary procuring expedition services to ship goods abroad.

The perpetrators collected vehicles (motorcycles, cars, and trucks) that lacked valid documents or had only STNK from various regions.

“To facilitate the shipment, they created fictitious export documents. The vehicles were then loaded into containers and shipped via Tanjung Priok Port to Timor Leste,” said the Head of Ditreskrimsus of Central Java Police, Commissioner Pol Djoko Julianto, on Wednesday, 22 April 2026.

In the arrests in Klaten and Semarang, police seized 46 motorcycles, 4 cars, 2 Canter trucks, 2 Hino container trucks, and 64 bundles of fictitious export documents.

Based on the investigation, this activity has been ongoing since January 2025. The total vehicles smuggled by them reached 1,727 units, consisting of 1,674 motorcycles, 34 cars, and 19 trucks. The smuggling was carried out using 52 containers.

This illegal business is estimated to have a transaction value exceeding Rp50 billion, with the perpetrators netting over Rp10 billion in clean profits.

The suspects gained substantial profits from the price difference between purchase and sale. For example, motorcycles bought for Rp6-8 million were sold in Timor Leste for Rp13-15 million.

For their actions, the two suspects are charged under Article 592 of the Criminal Code and/or Article 591 of the Criminal Code, as well as the Law on Fiduciary Guarantees.