Jewelry seized at customs

TANGERANG: Customs and excise officers have seized thousands of pieces of jewelry, along with dozens of cellular phones, sent to Soekarno-Hatta airport from express mail services in Hong Kong and Singapore, an official said Thursday.

Eko Darmanto, chief of intelligence at the customs office, said officers conducting delivery surveillance at the airport’s cargo warehouse discovered the 2,100 bracelets and 1,150 necklaces worth Rp 3.8 billion packed in several boxes.

The jewelry is magnetic and is said to have a medical function.

“On the declaration forms, the jewelry was described as being ‘shackles’ in order to avoid import duties,” he added.

The boxes of jewelry were addressed to a man identified as AR, a resident of Pluit, West Jakarta, Eko said, adding the market price for a magnetic necklace is Rp 1.5 million, with that of a bracelet around Rp 1 million.

“The illegal import of this magnetic jewelry and these cellular phones has cost the state Rp 1.4 billion in lost import taxes,” he said. –JP

Source: The Jakarta Post

Post Author: Indonesia Jewelry