Bareskrim Polri Thwarts Smuggling Of 8 Containers Filled With Cooking Oil Exported To Timor Leste

JAKARTA - The Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police (Bareskrim Polri), Commissioner General of Police Agus Andrianto, together with the East Java Regional Police succeeded in dismantling an attempt to smuggle eight containers filled with cooking oil ready for export from East Java to the State of Timor Leste.

Commissioner General of Police Agus said the eight containers contained 162,642.6 liters or 121,985 tons of cooking oil ready for export. Of course, this action is contrary to the Government's policy regarding the ban on the export of cooking oil.

The disclosure stems from information provided by the public to the Tanjung Perak Harbor Police regarding an alleged violation of the Regulation of the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia Number 22 of 2022 concerning the Temporary Prohibition of Exports of Crude Palm Oil, Refined, Bleached and Deodorized Palm Oil, Refined, Bleached and Deodorized Palm Olein, and Used Cooking Oil.

The police named two people as suspects, namely the initials R (60) and E (44). They are suspected of acting as exporters of cooking oil in the midst of the export ban policy.

According to Agus, it is suspected that there are 11 containers containing cooking oil ready for export. However, three containers have been in Timor Leste and the police are currently coordinating with the Directorate General of Customs and Excise to withdraw the three containers.

"Eight containers containing cooking oil with the Linse, Tropical, and Tropical brands have been secured by the Tanjung Perak Harbor Police," Agus told reporters, Thursday, May 12.

In launching the action, said Agus, the perpetrators tricked the Customs officers by entering goods that were not in accordance with the tariff post or HS and an invoice for the Export of Goods Approval (PEB) in which export documents with Tariff Post/HS and Invoice were written on items such as door hinges, paint, roof tile, noble glass block, plumbing tools, PVC pipe, Sika vix tile adhesive, wide lid metal barrel, snack, styrofoam, plastic duck spoon, computer, aqua car spare parts.

"But the contents of the goods in the container are cooking oil with that brand," he said.

The perpetrator was charged with Article 112 Paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 51 Paragraph (1) of Law Number 7 of 2014 concerning Trade in conjunction with Article 3 of the Regulation of the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia Number 22 of 2022 concerning the Temporary Prohibition of Exports of Crude Palm Oil, Refined, Bleached and Deodorized Palm Oil, Refined, Bleached and Deodorized Palm Olein and Used Cooking Oil.