Corruption Watch: Alleged Customs Import Bribery Case is Not About Individuals, but a Problematic System

Illustration of the determination of suspects in the gratification case/ Photo: IST

JAKARTA - Indonesian Audit Watch (IAW) considers that the case of alleged import bribery at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise which is being handled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) should not only be seen from the perspective of the individual perpetrators.

The Founding Secretary of IAW, Iskandar Sitorus, emphasized that the main problem lies in the weakness of the internal supervision system which is considered to have failed to detect the practice from the beginning.

"It's not about who the General Director is or who was caught, but why the operational line is a vulnerable point while the surveillance system is not able to detect it," said Iskandar, Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

IAW revealed the alleged scheme starting from the role of an official of the second echelon with the initials Rizal, who was then the Director of Enforcement and Investigation of Customs. He is said to have directed the newly appointed Director General in May 2025 to meet with a forwarder businessman at a hotel in Jakarta.

After the meeting, the businessmen were allegedly asked to provide monthly dues which were said to be allocated to a number of parties within the Customs.

According to Iskandar, entrepreneurs have no choice because most of their cargo enters the red line, which risks causing delays and high costs.

IAW assesses this condition as an "inverted power structure", where the network at the lower level is suspected of controlling the system, while internal supervision does not run effectively.

"If the scheme is running massively in a short time after the new officials are inaugurated, then it is very unlikely that it was built from scratch. It is more logical if the network has been formed previously," he said.

Iskandar also highlighted Rizal's track record who had served in a number of strategic positions, including in Batam and the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation. He was even investigated by the KPK in 2024, but was still promoted before he was finally arrested in a sting operation in February 2026.

In addition, IAW highlighted the State Organizer Wealth Report (LHKPN) of Rizal which reached around Rp. 19.7 billion, which was considered unusual for officials of the second echelon and needed to be further investigated.

IAW also reminded that handling cases does not stop at one person. This is because in this case there are indications of large funds, including cash of tens of billions of rupiah and gold.

"If it only stops at one person, then the root of the problem in the form of the permitting system will not be touched and the same pattern has the potential to be repeated," said Iskandar.

Based on IAW's investigation of the Financial Audit Agency (BPK) report, the problems at the Customs Service have been repeated for more than two decades, ranging from weak supervision to gaps in the risk management system.

"This is no longer about individuals, but a systemic issue. If it is not corrected, similar cases will continue to occur," said Iskandar.

IAW also encourages the KPK to thoroughly investigate the case, not only from the perspective of receiving money, but also tracing the chain of decisions and parties involved in arranging the import route.