Odd Transactions At The Ministry Of Finance, Mahfud MD Reveals There Is A Counterfeiting Of Gold Import Customs Data Of IDR 189 Trillion

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud Md submitted a report from the TPPU Task Force, at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Office, Jakarta, Wednesday (1/11/2023). (ANTARA/Rina Nur Anggraini.)

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD said that gold import transactions worth IDR 189 trillion involved three affiliated entities with a group belonging to the initials SB in collaboration with companies abroad. "It was found the fact that customs data falsification caused the loss of income tax levies (PPH) article 22 on gold bullion ex imports weighing 3.5 tons," said Mahfud at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, November 1. According to Mahfud, based on the deepening of the Money Laundering Crime Task Force (TPPU), the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, and the Directorate General of Taxes together with the KPK, it was found that the mode of crime committed by conditioning it as if the gold bullion imported by the SB group had been processed into jewelry and exported entirely. "In fact, based on the data obtained, 3.5 tons of gold bullion is suspected to be circulating in domestic trade. Thus, the SB group has abused the PPH Free Decree article 22," he said. Investigators from the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, said Mahfud, have obtained evidence that there was a customs crime in a letter sent by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) number SR-205/2020 with a suspicious transaction value of Rp189 trillion. "Investigators from the Directorate General of Customs and Excise have issued an investigation warrant number 7 dated 19 October 2023 with alleged violations of the Customs Law and the Money Laundering Law, as well as submitting a Notice of Investigation Commencement (SDPD) to the special criminal field of the Attorney General's Office," said Mahfud. In doing business, said Mahfud, the person with the initials SB used his employees to commit customs, tax, and money laundering (TPPU) crimes. This suspicious gold import transaction of IDR 189 trillion is part of the findings of odd transactions worth IDR 349 trillion at the Ministry of Finance in the PPATK report from 2009 to 2023.

To follow up on the PPATK report, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud Md formed a TPPU Task Force to investigate the odd transaction.