SURABAYA TANJUNG PERAK (ISL News) - The East Java I Regional Office (Kanwil) of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai) together with POLRI Tanjung Perak Surabaya thwarted an attempt to illegally export around 3.4 tons of liquid mercury with an estimated value of goods reaching
Approximately Rp17.5 billion was destined for Burkina Faso, West Africa. The operation took place on Friday, July 24, 2026, at PT Terminal Petikemas Surabaya, following intelligence analysis and a physical inspection of an export container declared to be ceramics.
Mercury is a heavy metal commonly used in the amalgamation process in small-scale gold mining. Although the method is relatively inexpensive and simple, the use of mercury has very dangerous impacts because it is toxic, can pollute the environment, and causes serious health problems due to short-term and long-term exposure. Therefore, international mercury trade is controlled through the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which has been ratified by the Indonesian Government through Law Number 11 of 2017 concerning the Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury .
The Head of the East Java I Regional Customs Office, Rusman Hadi, said that the disclosure of this case was the result of optimizing intelligence functions, risk analysis, and strong synergy with the National Police in monitoring the flow of export goods.
"This success demonstrates the commitment of Customs and Excise, along with the Indonesian National Police, to preventing the smuggling of high-risk commodities. Our supervision is not only aimed at protecting state revenues but also protecting the public and the environment from the impacts of uncontrolled mercury circulation," said Rusman.
The action was carried out by the Enforcement and Investigation Team (P2) of the East Java I Regional Office of Customs and Excise, along with the Tanjung Perak Customs Section P2 Team, on Friday (July 24) between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB) at PT Terminal Petikemas Surabaya. This action was a follow-up to intelligence findings regarding a 20- foot container deemed high-risk.
During a physical inspection, witnessed by the Customs Services Provider (PPJK), acting as the exporter's representative, officers discovered discrepancies between the export documents and the container's contents. The export documents stated the cargo consisted of 900 cartons of ceramic tiles weighing 11,000 kilograms. However, the physical inspection revealed:
- 826 cartons of ceramics, or there is a difference of 74 cartons less than what was stated in the export documents; and
- 251 plastic bottles and 71 jerry cans containing a silver colored liquid hidden in a ceramic pallet and covered in aluminum foil .
To confirm the type of liquid, officers took samples and tested them at the Surabaya Customs Laboratory. The laboratory results confirmed the liquid was mercury. Following this discovery, officers immediately seized and sealed the goods for further investigation.
Items that were successfully secured include:
- 826 karton keramik;
- 251 plastic bottles (600 milliliter packaging) with a gross weight of approximately 2,008 kilograms; and
- 71 jerry cans (2 liter packaging) with a gross weight of approximately 1,420 kilograms.
The total liquid mercury that was successfully secured reached around 3,428 kilograms with an estimated value of approximately Rp. 17.5 billion.
Regarding this action, the Head of Tanjung Perak Customs, Agus Cahyono, also explained that the perpetrators used a concealment method , namely hiding liquid mercury in plastic bottles and jerry cans placed between ceramic pallets, then covering them with aluminum foil so that they could not be easily detected by the scanner.
"Based on export documents, the mercury was known to be destined for Burkina Faso, one of Africa's gold-producing countries, where the mining sector is a major contributor to national exports. It is suspected that the mercury was intended to be used as a supporting material for gold mining activities," he continued.
In this case, the exporter and related parties are suspected of violating:
- Article 103 letter a of Law Number 10 of 1995 concerning Customs as amended by Law Number 17 of 2006; and
- Law Number 11 of 2017 concerning the Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury and provisions related to the control of mercury trade.
The success of this disclosure demonstrates the synergy between Customs and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) in protecting the public, preserving the environment, and enforcing customs laws. Customs and Excise will continue to strengthen oversight of cross-border goods traffic to prevent the smuggling of high-risk commodities and support Indonesia's commitment to controlling mercury circulation in accordance with the Minamata Convention.
(ISL News Editorial Team/BC Surabaya Public Relations/Corcom TPS Surabaya).
