JAKARTA: Authorities in Batam, Riau Islands have detained eight Chinese nationals for allegedly attempting to smuggle 11.3kg of powdered gold to Singapore, the latest in a string of gold-smuggling cases involving foreign nationals reported in the past month.
“Our officers have detained several Chinese nationals who were carrying gold worth 29 billion rupiah [US$1.6 million] without the required documentation,” said Agung Widodo, head of the Batam customs office on Tuesday (Sept 29).
According to authorities, the suspects were detained in two separate operations at international ferry terminals in Batam on Sept 22 and Sept 24.
In the first operation, officers at Batam Centre Ferry Terminal found seven packages containing 1.8kg of powdered gold in the possession of a passenger identified only as SQ, customs officials said. They later identified seven other Chinese nationals allegedly linked to the case.
The seven, identified only as TLK, CYA, LJ, CYO, CM, PC and YM, were detained at the Batam Centre and Harbour Bay international ferry terminals on Sept 24, customs officials said.
Officers seized 36 packages containing 9.4kg of powdered gold from the group.
The suspects allegedly used several methods to conceal the gold from customs officers, including hiding it in bags and underwear. Some of the gold was also concealed inside their bodies, customs officials said.
The case remains under investigation as authorities determine the next legal steps for the eight Chinese nationals.
The Batam case marks the fifth reported attempt to smuggle large quantities of gold out of Indonesia in September, highlighting a recent increase in gold-smuggling cases involving foreign nationals.
On Sept 14, customs officers detained an Indian national at Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra, for allegedly attempting to smuggle four gold bars weighing 1.5kg to Thailand.
The bars, valued at Rp 3.9 billion, were concealed inside a voltage stabilizer, customs officials said.
Previously, two Chinese nationals were detained at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Sept 10 while allegedly attempting to smuggle 10 gold bars weighing a total of 10kg to Hong Kong.
On Sept 6, a Chinese national was arrested at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali for allegedly attempting to smuggle 14 gold bars weighing a total of 10 kg and valued at Rp 26 billion to Hong Kong.
Four days earlier, police arrested two Chinese nationals at Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado, North Sulawesi, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 16 gold bars weighing a total of 16 kg to Hong Kong, police said.
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Customs and Excise has foiled attempts to smuggle a total of 330kg of gold since the beginning of the year through Sept 14, with initial investigations indicating that the gold came from illegal mines in various parts of the country.
Sr. Comr. Bambang Wijanarko, deputy director for special crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department, said investigation had uncovered two major international gold-smuggling networks operating in Indonesia, one linked to China and the other to India.
“The Chinese network sent gold to Hong Kong, while the Indian network used routes to Bangkok, Manila and Dubai. Police have also identified the beneficial owner, or main financier, of the Indian network as being based in Dubai,” he said on Sept 15 as quoted by Detik.com.
“We have identified members of the Chinese network and are coordinating with immigration authorities to profile them and pursue them, including through Interpol Red Notices and other measures,” he added.
Bambang said the investigation went beyond arrests at international airports, with police also tracing the gold supply chain back to its source.
“We are identifying and pursuing those supplying gold from illegal mines in various provinces across Indonesia,” he said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
