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| The customs office foiled the attempted smuggling of 28,200 kilograms of scrap steel allegedly contaminated by hazardous waste at the Tanjung Priok Port on Saturday in Jakarta. (Antara Photo/Ujang Zaelani) |
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The customs
office foiled the attempted smuggling of many containers of scrap steel, each
weighing 28,200 kilograms, allegedly contaminated by hazardous waste classified
as B3 at the Tanjung Priok Port on Saturday, an official said.
The scrap
metal was shipped from England and the Netherlands on false documents, said
Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya who was inspecting the containers at
Tanjung Priok together with Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo.
“The
examination found that the contents didn’t match with the import documents,”
Balthasar said.
The
smuggled steel came in five shipments between late December and January with 89
containers coming from England and 24 coming from the Netherlands.
Some of the
containers released unpleasant smells when customs officials unlocked the
doors.
Agus said
the importer was identified by the initials of PT HHS, a multinational company
in the scrap metal business.
“We honor
the presumption of innocence principle, but if proven guilty, [the company
owner] could face between five and 15 years in jail,” Agus said.
The import
documents specified that the containers contained non-hazardous scrap metal.
“It turned
out the steels were dug off from the final resting place and directly loaded
into containers. They should have been cleaned first,” said director general of
customs and excise Agung Kuswandono. “We already consulted with the Ministry of
Environment to ensure that the contents are classified as B3.”
In addition
to the customs offense, the importer could also be charged under the
environment law, the ministers said.
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