Soetta Customs Probes Motive of Thai National Carrying US$350,000 into Indonesia

The Soekarno-Hatta Customs and Excise Main Service Office in Tangerang, Banten, is investigating the motives of a Thai national, identified by the initials RR, who carried foreign banknotes totalling US$350,000, or approximately Rp6.3 billion, into Indonesia. The effort follows the prevention of a violation regarding the carriage of foreign banknotes at Terminal 2F International Arrivals of Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Monday, 22 June. “This passenger, RR, did not have a permit, and he also did not report to Customs officers,” said Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Customs Office, in Tangerang on Friday. He stated that the enforcement action began with tracking results from a risk-based profiling surveillance system for international passengers. Based on the results, officers paid attention to the luggage of a passenger arriving from Thailand. Through an X-ray scan, officers detected a suspicious density image indicating the carriage of stacks of cash. After persuasive measures were taken, Hengky continued, a physical examination in a special room was also conducted, proving that the passenger was carrying 3,500 pieces of US$100 banknotes, with a total value of US$350,000 or equivalent to Rp6.3 billion. “Currently, the goods resulting from the enforcement have been secured at the Soekarno-Hatta Customs Office, and the perpetrator is undergoing further customs research to investigate the financial administrative compliance of the related corporation,” he revealed. In this case, Soetta Customs immediately coordinated with representatives from Bank Indonesia and the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) for an in-depth analysis to determine any suspected criminal acts or other violations. “Because this foreign national’s statements kept changing, what we did was report to PPATK. Later, PPATK will conduct an in-depth investigation into the person’s profile, their finances, and whether there is any connection to crime, for example,” he explained. He mentioned that if the results of the research and investigation in this case show that the funds were not declared or did not have a permit, his party will charge the suspect under Article 15A paragraph (7) with cumulative fines imposed. In addition, the perpetrator is subject to customs fines as well as fines under Bank Indonesia regulations, so the total maximum combined administrative fine becomes Rp600,000,000, which will be deducted directly from the cash seized and deposited into the State Treasury. “This act of prevention and imposition of administrative sanctions against the carriage of foreign banknotes without declaration or permit is a concrete step in maintaining the stability of the Rupiah exchange rate and controlling the flow of cash in and out of Indonesia,” he stated. He also added that Soekarno-Hatta Customs is continuously committed to safeguarding the nation’s financial sovereignty through strict supervision of cross-border cash carrying. His party also reminded the public and international travellers to always comply with applicable regulations to maintain national economic stability, in accordance with cross-border reporting obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering Law and the Anti-Terrorism Financing Law, or Article 34 of Law No. 8 of 2010. The law mandates that any person carrying cash or other payment instruments of at least Rp100,000,000 into or out of the Indonesian customs area must declare it to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, and this data must be forwarded to PPATK to prevent money laundering crimes. “Article 21 of Law No. 9 of 2013 grants full authority to Customs and Excise Officers to conduct supervision in the form of research and examination of carriers of cash and/or other payment instruments listed in the register of suspected terrorists and terrorist organisations,” he said.