Three tonnes of pangolin scales thwarted from being smuggled to Cambodia

Three tonnes, or 3,053 kilograms, of pangolin scales were thwarted by customs officers at Tanjung Priok Port. The item is estimated to be worth around Rp183 billion, based on a market price of about Rp60 million per kilogram, according to Adhang Noegroho Adhi, head of the Tanjung Priok Customs and Excise. He said the export documents listed Cambodia as the destination. ‘The primary objective of this export is Cambodia. In the PEB data it states the destination as Cambodia,’ he said, adding that investigators are still probing the domestic side, noting that the exporting company (PT TSR) indicated this was the first such export. On the trafficking front, Darman, head of the Jakarta branch of the Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam (BKSDA), said four to six adult pangolins are required to obtain one kilogram of scales. ‘Based on expert studies, for an adult pangolin it is between four and six individuals. So if the quantity is three tonnes, you can multiply accordingly,’ he added. He also noted that pangolins generally inhabit tropical rainforest and lowland areas across Southeast Asia, and in Indonesia are found on Java, Sumatra, Bali, and parts of Nusa Tenggara. In a related earlier report, Customs at Tanjung Priok thwarted the smuggling of 3 tonnes of pangolin scales worth Rp183 billion intended for Cambodia. Adhang explained that the interception began with an analysis of container scan results. ‘We analysed the Export Goods Declaration (PEB) submitted by PT TSR, which indicated two goods: Sea Cucumber and Instant Noodles. But three compartments were detected, suggesting undeclared goods were included in the export,’ he said at a press briefing at the Tanjung Priok Customs House on Wednesday, 4 March 2026.