Smuggling attempts foiled

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