Task Force Arrests Foreigners From China Who Smuggle Mineral At PT IWIP Special Airport

Officers Secure Evidence (Ist)

The Integrated Task Force (Satgas) stationed at PT Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) Special Airport succeeded in thwarting efforts to smuggle mineral ingredients on Friday, December 5, 2025.

A foreign national (WNA) with the initials MY was arrested after being caught carrying five packs of mixed nickel powder and four packs of pure nickel powder via a Super Air Jet flight on the Weda Bay route Manado.

Head of the Legal Information Center (Kapuspenkum) of the Indonesian Attorney General's Office, Anang Supriatna, said that the Integrated Task Force's quick action showed that cross-agency coordination function was effective.

"This action proves that the state is present in maintaining natural resources and closing space for illegal practices that harm the state. Each finding will be processed according to applicable law," he said in a written statement, Saturday, December 6, 2025.

Anang said MY had now been handed over to the relevant authorities for further processing. Meanwhile, all mineral evidence will be examined by the competent authorities to ensure the content and potential for further violations.

"Currently, the perpetrators have been further processed by the relevant authorities and the evidence of mineral material smuggled will be further researched by the relevant agencies," he said

Anang explained that the smuggling was first detected by the Halilintar Forest Area Control Task Force (PKH) team, which has been monitoring the potential for smuggling mining products in the Weda Bay industrial area.

PT IWIP Special Airport itself has been operating since 2019 after receiving permission from the Ministry of Transportation. However, the results of the government's evaluation revealed that the facility has not fully met the minimum standards of state apparatus that are required to attend airports that serve the mobility of people and goods.

"As a follow-up, since November 29, 2025 at PT IWIP Special Airport, the government has placed an Integrated Task Force consisting of the TNI PAM Task Force, Customs, Immigration, Police, BMKG, AirNav Indonesia, AvSec, quarantine of fish, animals and plants as well as health quarantine," he said.

According to Anang, strengthening supervision at special airports such as IWIP is very important considering the high mobility of foreign workers and distribution of industrial logistics.

"Every potential violation must be closely monitored. We ensure that all flight activities remain within the applicable legal corridors," he stressed.

He emphasized that the presence of the Integrated Task Force was a strategic step to strengthen security, supervision, and law enforcement in one of the largest industrial activities centers in Indonesia.

"Through the Integrated Task Force, the government continues to increase strict supervision to ensure that every flight activity at PT IWIP Special Airport runs according to applicable legal provisions," he concluded.