Indonesian Customs Seizes 29 Kilograms of Smuggled Gold at Four Airports

Indonesian Customs officers have intercepted 29 kilograms of smuggled gold, totaling around Rp73.3 billion, at four international airports between September 5 and 14, 2026. The airports involved were Kualanamu in North Sumatra, Soekarno-Hatta in Banten, I Gusti Ngurah Rai in Bali, and Sam Ratulangi in North Sulawesi. Director General of Customs Djaka Budhi revealed the seizure in a press conference on September 15, 2026.

The smuggling methods varied, including hiding gold in electronic devices, carrying it in passengers' luggage, and using body-strapping techniques. At Kualanamu International Airport, an Indian national (NU) attempting to smuggle gold concealed in electronic devices was stopped on September 14. At Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, two Chinese nationals (MZ and SL) were detained on September 10 while trying to leave for Hong Kong with concealed gold in their luggage and backpacks.

At I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, a Chinese national (ZG) carrying 14 gold bars was seized on September 6 after being found guilty of hiding gold using the body-strapping method. At Sam Ratulangi International Airport, three Chinese nationals (JM, ZW, and TC) were detained on September 5, leading to the seizure of 19 packages of suspected gold worth Rp14.5 billion.

The potential losses to state revenue amounted to Rp8.5 billion. The Customs officers are collaborating with the Police Criminal Investigation Department and the Attorney General's Office to investigate the cases further.