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Attempt to smuggle rattan foiled in Central Sulawesi
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Thwarted: One of two vessels caught by Pantoloan Customs and Excise personnel for allegedly attempting to smuggle hundreds of tons of rattan to Malaysia is secured at the Pantoloan Customs and Excise base in Palu, on Aug.11. (Antara/Fiqman Sunandar)
T
he Pantoloan Customs and Excise Office in Palu, Central Sulawesi, have thwarted an attempt to smuggle hundreds of tons of rattan to Malaysia.
The rattans were carried by two vessels, KLM Bunga Madinah and KLM Karya Bersama.
“In total, they carried 293 tons of rattan; 158 tons were on KLM Karya Bersama and the remaining 135 tons were carried by KLM Bunga Madinah,” Pantoloan Customs and Excise Office head Trimulyo Cahyono told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
He added that the two vessels were caught last Tuesday in the Makassar Strait, around Tanjung Mangkaliat, Berau, East Kalimantan, as they were sailing to Tawau, Malaysia.
Pantoloan Customs and Excise officers also arrested the captains of both ships, as well as six KLM Karya Bersama crew members and seven crewmen from the KLM Bunga Madinah.
The ship captains were identified as MU and MA, and have been named suspects.
“They have been detained […] at Maesa Penitentiary in Palu, where they will wait for the completion of their [case] documents before starting trial,” Trimulyono said.
The two suspects are charged with Article 102 of Law No.17/2006 on Customs, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of Rp 10 billion (US$ 749,120).
Both vessels and their cargo have been secured at the Pantoloan Customs and Excise base in Palu. (ebf)
