Customs seizes 7 tons of contraband ready-to-wear at Jakarta's airport

Multa Fidrus ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 01/22/2009 4:53 PM  |  Jakarta

The customs and excise office has seized more than seven tons of clothing smuggled into the country via Bangkok, Thailand, through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport between January 18 and 20.

Eko Darmanto, head of intelligence at the airport customs office, said Thursday the garments, mostly ready-to-wear, were packed in 148 oversized passenger bags belonging to some 25 passengers on an Air Asia flight.

"Our officers became suspicious because none of the passengers who flew in from Bangkok between January 18 and 20 had declared on the customs forms the imported goods they were bringing along in all that oversized luggage," Eko said.

He said the passengers had violated the Trade Ministry's 2008 regulation on importing textiles and ready-to-ear clothing.

He said the regulation only allowed commercial companies to import such garments  from overseas, not individuals.

"And any commercial company still must follow procedure if they are importing clothing from overseas," he said.

Eko said further the passengers have been told to arrange import documents for the smuggled goods. Should they fail to do so within 30 days, the state will confiscate the contraband clothes.

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