What happens to smuggled goods?

What happens to smuggled goods?

From Kompas

The public can follow the success of the Directorate General
of Customs in confiscating smuggled goods on the TV news and in
the newspapers from time to time. The latest success was at
Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta on Oct. 10, 2000 when household
articles, office equipment, electronic goods and fabrics were
confiscated. Recently, Customs has also managed to confiscate
luxury cars, decorative lamps, used trucks, firearms, ammunition
and narcotics.

Except for firearms and narcotics, which are categorized as
dangerous goods and therefore subject to special treatment, I
would like to know what the Customs (the government) does to
smuggled goods, particularly after they have been legally
processed. Are they kept and piled high in the Customs'
warehouses? Have they ever been sold by the Customs? If so, where
and when?

Goods like television sets, VCD players, radios, household
articles, decorative lamps, sundries and used trucks (confiscated
by the Customs), are, in my opinion, easy to sell in the market
openly, even more so if Customs sell them below the normal price
(they are smuggled goods, aren't they?). For example, color TV
sets worth Rp 2 million per unit at market price, can be sold to
the public at Rp 1 million to Rp 1.3 million each. And the funds
raised from the such sales could be allocated to social welfare
programs.

When these goods are to be sold, I think the Customs'
directorate general could periodically lease space in, or use,
certain shopping centers like Sarinah or Pasar Raya, or sell the
goods directly in the Customs' directorate general's compound
depending on the availability of confiscated goods.

I believe that the regional Customs' offices could do likewise
considering that other ports around the country are not free from
smuggled goods either.

AS SIAGIAN

Jakarta