PPATK Collaborates With Ministry Of Trade-IDEA To Detect Money Laundering From Thrifting

ILLUSTRATION/Toko selling used/ANTARA imported clothing

JAKARTA - The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) cooperates with the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) and the Indonesian E-Commerce Association (idEA) to trace the flow of money laundering transaction funds (TPPU) from case-thriphing (ex-wear import) through e-commerce.

Acting Deputy for Analysis and Examination of PPATK Danang Tri Hartono said coordination had been carried out by the three parties regarding the search for the flow of money laundering funds.

"So we will carry out a blue eagle operation where we will detect the following of the money related to the sale of used clothes from downstream to upstream, who brings in, who is the real importer," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, May 25.

Danang revealed that from the search carried out, his party had identified the flow of funds since 2021 until now whose value reached Rp1 trillion.

"A total of Rp1 trillion is from 2021 until now but that's from only a few parties, not all of them. That's why we are cooperating with the idEA, e-commerce and the Ministry of Trade for us to both detect it all," he said.

According to Danang, the total fantastic transactions identified came from a number of countries. However, because the goods have been sold, his party will see potential losses in terms of taxation and then submit them to related parties, including the Directorate General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance.

His party will also notify the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance so that the parties involved fall into the category of red flags in import export activities.

PPATK together with the Ministry of Trade and idEA have also signed an agreement to be able to share data (sharing data) to facilitate tracing suspicious flows of funds on online platforms.

"In the future, we will also ask the Ministry of Trade as a user-commerce to jointly share more solid data information, to make it easier, so that the acceleration of data fulfillment, acceleration of case handling is smoother (mulus) and faster," he said.

Danang said the operation of the blue eagle was an internal coordination set up to trace the flow of funds in die-commerce transactions, especially related to the sale of imported clothing that had surfaced recently due to the large number of imported clothing hunting (thrifting).

Although the news about Thrifting has eased slightly, he ensures that the government does not stop eradicating the circulation and sale of illegal imported clothing.

Danang also ensured that the search for the flow of funds which were allegedly money laundering offenses would be able to spread to other sectors other than the sale of imported used goods. Likewise, the flow of funds related to criminal acts will be traceable.

"So this blue eagle operation is included in the (case of)thrifying, later it will be able to spread to other sectors," he said.

Meanwhile, the Intermediate Expert Trade Analyst of the PMSE Directorate of the Directorate General of Domestic Trade Ronny Symptom Maresa explained that collaboration with PPATK and idEA was carried out so that the sale of imported used clothes that were prohibited could be handled.

"Because it is impossible for only one party to resolve it. It is all rooted. Even PPATK was involved to find out the flow of money," said Ronny.