Purbaya Reveals New Gold Smuggling Method: Concealed in Genitalia!
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that customs supervision cannot rely solely on physical checks, but must combine technology, risk analysis, data utilisation, field surveillance, and cross-agency synergy. “We are not just dealing with who is carrying the goods. We need to see where the goods came from, how they were carried, to whom they will be handed over, and who else is involved. Therefore, technology, risk analysis, passenger data, field surveillance, and cross-agency synergy must be continuously strengthened,” Purbaya said during a press conference on Thursday.
Director General of Customs and Excise Djaka Budhi Utama explained that the case began on Tuesday, when officers secured a total of 23.793 kilograms of gold with an estimated market value of Rp 63 billion. “The two cases used different methods and show the increasingly diverse ways used to avoid supervision,” Djaka said.
In the first operation, gold was concealed in various ways, including being inserted into the genital area, hidden in modified clothing, strapped to the body, and placed in hand-carry luggage. The second operation involved gold being transported through the airport’s operational area by ground handling staff to be handed over to passengers in the international departure area.
“The first operation stemmed from synergy between Aviation Security (Avsec) and Customs officers who discovered suspected gold in a hand-carry bag belonging to a Chinese national at Terminal 3 Departures,” Djaka explained. During the inspection, officers found cylindrical or egg-shaped gold in the hand-carry bag. While the investigation was ongoing, Avsec and Customs officers identified another passenger based on an anomaly from the body scanner results. An inspection of that passenger found cylindrical gold hidden inside modified underwear.
Subsequently, the Customs team conducted a Passenger Analysis Unit (PAU) data analysis and found suspected links between these two passengers and other passengers on two flights bound for Hong Kong, namely CX798 and GA860. A total of five suspected related passengers were then detained for further examination. From this series of inspections, officers found egg-shaped gold inserted into the genital and rectal areas, as well as gold hidden in modified underwear. Overall, officers detained seven passengers with 41 pieces of gold weighing a total of 17.436 kg and an estimated market value of Rp 46 billion. All the seized gold showed a purity of Au 99.99 percent or 24 carats based on testing using an XRF Mineral Detector.
Based on the case review, the seven passengers met the elements of the criminal act of smuggling in the export sector as referred to in Article 102A letter a of Law Number 17 of 2006 concerning Amendments to Law Number 10 of 1995 concerning Customs. Less than 24 hours later, officers thwarted another smuggling attempt. A ground handling staff member was found transporting gold through a special employee lane or loading dock to be handed over to a passenger heading to Dubai on flight EK357. From the inspection, seven cast bar gold pieces weighing 6.357 kilograms with an estimated market value of Rp 17 billion were found stored in a backpack and cabin bag without customs documents.