Smuggling attempts foiled

TANGERANG: Over the past four months, the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Customs and Excise Office has foiled 33 smuggling attempts involving firearms, pirated and pornographic VCDs, sex toys and Chinese medicines.

The head of the office, Jusuf Indarto, told reporters on Thursday that the goods were mostly smuggled from Asian countries in suitcases, hand baggage and packages.

Jusuf, who was accompanied by customs and excise director general Permana Agung, said that his officers had seized 12 firearms/gas guns, 31 paint ball guns and a pistol lighter spread over a total of 14 cases. In 13 other cases, they confiscated a total of 1,040 pirated, uncensored VCDs, 215 pornographic VCDs and 944 sex toys.

The officers also foiled six cases involving the smuggling of 300 kilograms of Chinese medicines, mostly hidden in passengers' luggage.

None of the smugglers were arrested, Permane admitted.

He explained that the smugglers left no identification or name tags on the luggage used to smuggle the contraband.--JP