The Indonesian Navy has foiled two separate smuggling attempts over the past week in the West Java regency of Subang and in Jakarta.

In Subang, the Cirebon Naval Base’s Fleet One Quick Response (F1QR) team thwarted an attempt to ship thousands of pieces of sports apparel without customs documents at Patimban Port, the Navy said in a statement on Tuesday.

The F1QR team established a checkpoint for all vehicles debarking from the KMP Ferrindo 5 ferry from Pontianak, which arrived at the port in the early hours on Nov. 20, and detained a Mitsubishi Fuso truck suspected of carrying illegal goods without proper documentation.

The truck was carrying 41,280 pieces of sports apparel, each with an average market price of Rp 150,000 (US$9) for a total of around Rp 6.1 billion.

Cirebon Naval Base commander Lt. Col. Faisal Yanova Tanjung said the estimated state losses from the shipment was Rp 1.8 billion and the perpetrators would be charged with violating Article 102 of Law No. 17/2006 on Customs.

“All evidence, including the truck and driver, have been impounded at Cirebon Naval Base, and we are coordinating with the Purwakarta Customs and Excise Office for further processing the suspected customs violation,” Faisal said in the statement.

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The Navy is also coordinating with other relevant institutions, including the local port authority and law enforcement agencies.

Reptiles from Papua

In a previous case on Nov. 25, the Indonesian Navy’s security team deployed at state-owned shipping company PT Pelni, in cooperation with the North Jakarta Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA), foiled an attempt to smuggle 133 reptiles aboard KM Dobonsolo, a passenger ship that had just arrived from Jayapura, Papua.

The alleged smugglers had concealed the protected animals in bags that were stored in hidden locations throughout the ship, according to the Navy’s press release. Instead of immediately unloading the bags upon making port in North Jakarta, the perpetrators waited until all passengers had disembarked before arranging dockworkers to unload them in the early hours last Tuesday.

Navy personnel from the Pelni security team and BKSDA agents intercepted the bags before they were taken out of the port and secured all evidence.

The reptiles, consisting of various types of lizards and snakes, were taken to Naval Regional Command (Kodaeral) III Jakarta for inspection and records, and then handed over to the North Jakarta BKSDA for transporting to the Tegal Alur Animal Rescue Center in Kalideres, West Jakarta.

The incident showed that sea routes were often used to smuggle wild animals, so maritime supervision must be increased, the Navy stated.

“We will not allow anyone to destroy the nation’s natural resources through smuggling,” Kodaeral III commander Rear Adm. Uki Prasetia said in the release.

“We always act quickly. The sea is the nation’s living space that must be guarded, including against animal smuggling,” he said. (nvn)

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