Eight Chinese nationals detained in Batam over 11 kg gold smuggling
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Customs and Excise has foiled attempts to smuggle a total of 330 kg of gold since the beginning of the year through Sept. 14, with initial investigations indicating that the gold came from illegal mines in various parts of the country.
Indonesia's Directorate General of Customs and Excise has thwarted efforts to smuggle 330 kg of gold from the country since the start of the year, with the first quarter ending on September 14. In Batam, an international ferry hub, eight Chinese nationals have been arrested for attempting to smuggle 11.3 kg of powdered gold to Singapore.
This latest incident is part of a series of gold-smuggling cases involving foreigners reported in recent months. According to Agung Widodo, head of the Batam customs office, the suspects were caught without proper documentation during two operations at the Batam Centre Ferry Terminal on September 22 and 24. The first operation uncovered seven packages containing 1.8 kg of powdered gold hidden in a passenger's possession, leading to the detention of seven other Chinese nationals.
On September 24, additional packages totaling 9.4 kg of powdered gold were seized from a group of suspects at the Batam Centre and Harbour Bay international ferry terminals. Authorities allege the criminals used various tactics to hide the gold, such as concealing it in bags, underwear, or even within their bodies.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
