Three Consecutive Days of Drug Smuggling Attempts Foiled at Juanda Airport
Over a three-day period, security personnel at Juanda International Airport’s cargo terminal in Sidoarjo foiled consecutive attempts to smuggle hard drugs and methamphetamine. The total estimated value of the seized illicit goods is Rp336.463 million. The contraband was intended for air shipment to Makassar and Jayapura.
The successful interceptions stemmed from the vigilance of cargo terminal officers and sharp analysis by the Indonesian Navy’s Security Task Force at the Naval Air Base (Lanudal) Juanda. The first attempt was thwarted on Friday at 17:50 WIB at the PT Mitra Kargo Nusantara regulated agent. A suitcase belonging to PT Dharma Bandar Mandala, manifested as containing used personal clothing and shipped via ID Express on a Sriwijaya Air flight to North Luwu, South Sulawesi, was flagged by an X-ray operator. A manual inspection uncovered 45 plastic packets wrapped in aluminium foil hidden inside women’s clothing, containing 6,250 Tramadol tablets and 33,031 pills marked with a ‘Y’ logo, valued at Rp202.655 million.
The second interception occurred on Saturday at 16:30 WIB at the same location. Another package destined for Makassar, declared as ‘document accessories’, aroused suspicion during X-ray screening. A physical check revealed 5,800 Tramadol tablets and 6,218 ‘Y’ logo pills. Testing with a Thermo Scientific device indicated the pills contained trihexyphenidyl (laktosa). The estimated value of this second haul was Rp66.308 million.
The third and final attempt was foiled on Sunday at Terminal 1 of Juanda International Airport. A package sent via Lion Parcel on a Lion Air flight to Makassar, with a connecting Batik Air flight to Jayapura, was flagged after the X-ray monitor image did not match the manifest. A manual inspection uncovered 27 grammes of crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated Rp67.5 million.
Commander of the Naval Aviation Centre, Rear Admiral TNI Bayu Alisyahbana, stated that the firm action demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to securing vital national objects. He explained that Juanda Airport is an enclave civil airport, meaning security responsibility lies entirely with Lanudal Juanda. He noted that in 2026, there have been nine smuggling attempts, comprising three involving hard drugs and six involving methamphetamine.