Customs Disrupts the Smuggling of 99.5 Tons of Rattan to Malaysia, 2 People Are Suspects

DOK IST

NUNUKAN - The Directorate General (Ditjen) of Customs and Excise has thwarted an attempt to smuggle 99.5 tons of raw rattan that will be sent to Tawau, Malaysia.

The commodities worth around IDR 4.2 billion were secured from the wooden boat KLM Brothers in the waters south of Sipadan Island, Nunukan Regency, North Kalimantan (Kaltara) right on the Indonesian-Malaysian maritime border on Tuesday, August 4.

Head of the East Kalimantan Directorate General of Customs and Excise Regional Office (Kanwil), Bagus Nugroho Tamtomo Putro said the rattan was from Batu Licin, South Kalimantan and was to be illegally exported to Malaysia.

"Based on the results of the examination and the crew's statement, all of this rattan cargo is to be illegally taken to Tawau, Malaysia," Bagus said at a press conference at the Tunon Taka International Port, Nunukan, Wednesday, August 5.

Customs has named two people as suspects, namely JE, the ship's captain and AN who served as a steward. Both of them are residents of Batu Licin, South Kalimantan, are suspected of violating Article 102A letter a and/or letter e of Law Number 10 of 1995 concerning Customs as last amended by Law Number 1 of 2026.

"The disclosure of this case began with intelligence information regarding the delivery of a large number of rattan to Malaysia. This information was followed up through a joint operation with law enforcement officers in the border area until the KLM Brothers ship was successfully stopped before entering Malaysian waters," explained Bagus.

"The pursuit was carried out as quickly as possible until the KLM Brothers ship was successfully stopped before entering Malaysian waters," he continued.

Bagus revealed that this action was part of efforts to protect national rattan industrial raw materials as well as supporting the government's downstream program so that rattan commodities are processed domestically to provide added value for the economy.

"Customs will continue to tighten supervision in the North Kalimantan border area which is still a vulnerable route for smuggling goods out of and into Indonesian territory," he concluded.