Customs officers at Soekarno-Hatta Airport display gold evidence that was about to be smuggled to Hong Kong.
An attempt to smuggle gold from Indonesia abroad was foiled at Terminal 3 of the International Departure area of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang City.
This case was uncovered by a joint team from the Soekarno-Hatta Customs and Excise Main Service Office Type C and Aviation Security over a one-month period, specifically between April and May 2026.
From these operations, the total evidence secured reached 17.55 kilograms of gold, with an estimated value of Rp45.73 billion.
“This amount of gold comes from 12 cases that were uncovered, with the majority of perpetrators being foreign nationals from China (11 people) and one Indonesian citizen,” was stated on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
One of the largest cases occurred on May 19, 2026, where a Chinese national with the initials FH, heading to Hong Kong, was caught hiding 10 cast bars of gold weighing 10 kilograms, with an estimated value reaching Rp26.18 billion.
This prevention was thanks to in-depth analysis and a Joint Operation inspection that detected suspicious high-density metal inside the passenger’s luggage.
“The methods used by the perpetrators were quite varied to deceive inspections. There was gold in the form of flakes and bars hidden in suitcases, clothing pockets, and even deliberately worn as necklaces,” explained the official.
According to the official, this smuggling is strongly suspected to be an attempt to avoid the latest fiscal policies issued by the government.
Based on Minister of Finance Regulation No. 80/2025, the government has tightened the export of gold in the form of powder, dore, ingots, granules, cast bars, and minted bars by imposing export duties to support national industry downstreaming and optimize state revenue.
“It is suspected they intended to take the gold to Hong Kong to be melted down and shaped into jewelry, then sold at a high price,” he stated.
Currently, all gold evidence has been secured for laboratory testing to determine its exact purity.
“Meanwhile, the perpetrators are undergoing intensive questioning by authorities to further investigate the potential involvement of an international syndicate network,” added the official.
He also reminded all international passengers that any carrying of gold jewelry or gold in any form must be officially declared and reported to Customs and Excise officers in accordance with Minister of Finance Regulation Number 203/PMK.04/2017.
“Even if it is personal property, it must be reported to Customs. This is to ensure compliance, because if the quantity is large, it is considered export goods,” he explained.
Soekarno-Hatta Airport
Terminal 3
Soekarno-Hatta Airport
Terminal 3
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