Stricter screening of Malaysians and Singaporeans entering Indonesia

Filepix shows passengers waiting for their flights at the international airport in Bali, Indonesia

JAKARTA: Malaysians and Singaporeans entering Indonesia will face stricter screening in the future in an attempt to prevent drug smuggling.

PT Angkasa Pura II, the company handling airports in Indonesia, said it was to ensure they did not bring in prohibited items especially drugs,

Managing director Budi Karya Sumadi said the action was being taken because drug smuggling into the country mostly involved citizens of the two nationalities.

"In our discussions with the Transport Ministry, the issue of illegal items being brought in by people from the two neighbours, especially drugs, was raised. The ministry agreed that more random checks will be done on Malaysians and Singaporeans coming into Indonesia," he said in a statement carried by local media.

He said the company was awaiting official notification from the ministry to implement the added measures and that it included having enforcement personnel in civilian clothes who could call up suspicious visitors for full checks.

Prior to this, Indonesian Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan in a statement had asked airport authorities to increase random checks on visitors to curb smuggling of drugs into the republic. -Bernama