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Indonesian Customs and Navy in synergy for the safety of the nation
Based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of Dec. 10, 1982, Indonesia’s marine territory spans 3,257,357 square kilometers.
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ased on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of Dec. 10, 1982, Indonesia’s marine territory spans 3,257,357 square kilometers. Its vast seas make Indonesia vulnerable to smuggling. This is why the Finance Ministry’s Customs and Excise Directorate General has been tasked with the responsibility to protect consumers and state finances by safeguarding the country from trade in illegal and/or dangerous goods.
The Customs and Excise Office (Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGCE)) has a strategic role in patrolling Indonesian waters, whether on its own or in collaboration with other state agencies. In 2021, the office’s maritime patrol operations, the Jaring Sriwijaya (Sriwijaya net) and Jaring Wallacea (Wallacea net) operations, have succeeded in carrying out 321 intercepts with an estimated value of Rp 3.560 trillion that posed potential state losses of Rp 906 billion.
"The Customs and Excise maritime patrol operations in 2021 helped save the nation's children from the dangers of drugs by successfully thwarting the [attempted] smuggling of 1.6 tons of methamphetamine, 30,000 ecstasy pills and 1,000 Happy 5 [nimetazepam] pills," said Hatta Wardhana, head of the Public Relations and Customs Counseling Subdirectorate.
To protect the nation’s waters, the Customs and Excise Office works in collaboration with the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) through a cooperation agreement (PKS) established in 2019. The agreement includes borrowing weapons and 12.7 mm caliber ammunition for heavy machine guns, and is among the customs office’s efforts in curbing the rampant smuggling of illegal and/or dangerous goods through Indonesian waters.
"This cooperation agreement with the Indonesian Navy is valid for one year and can be extended per year. However, for the sake of budgetary efficiency, the Customs and Excise Office requested a change in the PKS’s validity period from one year to five years.
“This request has been approved by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia in accordance with letter number R/969/M/X/2021, dated October 20, 2021," Hatta explained.
The PKS requires the Customs and Excise Office to conduct security clearance, psychological tests, 12.7 mm caliber machine gun training and physical tests, as well as provide regular weapons condition reports.
"With these requirements, it shows that the PKS relates not only to borrowing and using weapons, but also paying attention to infrastructure and human resource aspects for optimized and effective activities," Hatta added.
After the PKS ended in 2020, a signing ceremony to renew the agreement was held on Friday, June 3, at the Customs and Excise Office. The event was led by Customs Enforcement and Investigation director Bahaduri Wijayanta and attended by representatives from the Indonesian Navy.
TNI AL First Adm. Endarto Pantja said during the ceremony that the Navy’s support was deemed necessary, and emphasized that the Customs and Excise Office played an essential part in safeguarding state revenue and protecting the country from the entry of dangerous goods.
"Through the synergy between the two agencies, we want to show the public that as state apparatuses, the customs office and the Navy can work together for the sake of better monitoring of our territorial waters. It is hoped that [their] strong synergy can create conducive, safe and comfortable conditions in various regions," Bahaduri said.
