Rp7.4 Billion Saved: Joint Forces Foil Smuggling of 8 Tonnes of Indonesian Tin
A joint team comprising the Tri Cakti Task Force, the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH), the Marine Corps Intelligence Centre (Pusintelmar), the 045/Garuda Jaya Military Resort Command (Korem) Intelligence Team, the Bangka Belitung Naval Base (Lanal Babel), and the Bangka Belitung High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejati Babel) successfully foiled an attempt to smuggle approximately 8 tonnes of illegal tin ore. The operation took place in Sungailiat, Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, on Saturday, 20 June 2026. The joint team managed to safeguard potential state revenue estimated at around Rp7.4 billion.
This operation is part of the state’s duty to support the President of the Republic of Indonesia’s policies regarding the strengthening of supervision and security of strategic national commodities. The aim is to prevent the leakage of natural resources, smuggling, and various illegal trading practices that have the potential to harm the state. The government consistently emphasises that Indonesia’s natural resources must be managed legally, transparently, and provide maximum benefit for the prosperity of the people, as mandated by Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.
The case came to light on Friday, 19 June 2026, at around 10:00 WIB, when the joint team received information regarding the collection and planned shipment of tin ore suspected to be smuggled abroad via sea routes. Following up on this information, the team immediately carried out intensive monitoring, surveillance, investigation, and information gathering on the location suspected of being the collection point and departure site for the commodity. Based on the results of the field surveillance and investigation, the team successfully identified the commodity suspected of being smuggled.
Subsequently, the suspected goods were secured, and from the location, 179 sacks of tin ore with an estimated weight of 8 tonnes were seized. The ore was allegedly prepared for illegal shipment abroad. All evidence was secured for further examination and investigation. The joint team also collected information and conducted an analysis of the commodity’s origin, distribution channels, the parties involved, and the suspected final destination of the shipment.
The success of this operation not only foiled the smuggling of a strategic national commodity but also prevented the potential loss of state revenue estimated at around Rp7.4 billion. This figure represents the estimated potential loss arising from the lost economic value of the commodity and the non-fulfilment of obligations that should be the state’s right if the commodity were traded through legal mechanisms in accordance with statutory regulations.
As a strategic national mineral commodity, tin plays a vital role in supporting the national economy, domestic industry, mineral trade stability, and state revenue through taxes, royalties, and Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP). Therefore, the practice of smuggling tin ore is a serious threat to the governance of the national mining sector. It not only harms the state economically but also has the potential to damage healthy trading systems, disrupt the legal business climate, and weaken the government’s efforts to maintain sovereignty over the management of national natural resources.
The joint team is currently continuing its investigation to uncover the parties suspected of being involved in the activity, including tracing the source of the commodity, the distribution network, the parties responsible for collection and transportation, and the possibility of a wider network involved in smuggling strategic commodities abroad. All evidence secured will be processed according to applicable legal provisions. Evidence proven to be related to criminal acts will be confiscated for the purposes of the legal process and subsequently forfeited to the state based on a court decision that has obtained permanent legal force.
The joint team affirmed its commitment to continuously enhancing synergy, supervision, and law enforcement measures against various forms of illegal activity related to the management and trade of strategic national natural resource commodities. This effort is part of a shared responsibility to safeguard national economic sovereignty, protect Indonesia’s natural wealth, and ensure that every natural resource owned by the nation provides maximum benefit for the state and the welfare of the people. The team also urged all members of the public, business actors, storage warehouse owners, transport services, and parties involved in the tin commodity trading chain to always comply with applicable laws and regulations. All activities related to the management, transportation, processing, and trading of tin commodities must be carried out legally, transparently, and accountably according to the mechanisms established by the government.