ustoms and Excise Office personnel at Ngurah Rai International Airport have thwarted an attempt to smuggle swallow's nests weighing 2.5 kilograms to China. The swallow's nests are worth Rp 45 million (US$ 3,336.05).
The Office’s head Himawan Indarjono said on Thursday that the swallow's nests were seized from a Chinese citizen who was going to fly back home via the airport. The Chinese man, identified only as CY, brought the swallow's nests illegally.
“Based on the results of an x-ray examination conducted by Ngurah Rai security officers, which was followed up with a body search by customs officers at the airport’s departure terminal, it was revealed that CY brought the swallow's nests without a proper permit. So we decided to seize the nests,” he said.
Himawan further said swallow's nests could only be taken outside of Indonesia with a proper export permit document.
“CY possessed five packages of swallow's nests and was taking them abroad illegally,” he said.
Himawan said CY was allowed to fly back to China after he had handed over all of the swallow's nest packages.
“We are urging all people who want to bring goods that need special requirements to please first complete the necessary permit documents so they will not face problems when they go through the Customs and Excise gate at the airport,” said Himawan. (ebf)
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