Similar modus operandi: Customs suspect international network behind Rp45.7 billion gold smuggling

Tangerang — Soekarno-Hatta Customs suspects an international network behind the smuggling of 17.55kg of gold worth Rp45.7 billion to Hong Kong via Soekarno-Hatta Airport. This is due to most of the passengers involved being Chinese nationals using similar methods.

“They are Chinese nationals who carry items such as this (gold) when flying to Hong Kong,” said Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, Head of Soekarno-Hatta Type C Customs Office, at the customs facility on Tuesday 26 May 2026.

Hengky suspects the gold carriers are merely acting as couriers, as several passengers were on the same flight carrying gold in similar forms.

However, officers noted similarities in the statements of several suspects.

“If we interview some of them, they seem not to know each other, yet they were on the same flight and carried similar items,” Hengky said.

Some passengers also claimed to have obtained the gold from the Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) area in North Jakarta. At PIK, they said they met someone who entrusted them to take the gold to Hong Kong.

Given the uniformity of the pattern and statements, Customs suspects an external party is orchestrating the illegal export of gold from Indonesia.

“Due to the consistency in their explanations, we can deduce that someone is organising this — how to get Indonesian gold out of the country without following regulations,” he added.

“We are developing information and coordinating with other agencies for further investigation and law enforcement,” he said.