To prevent similar smuggling activities, Indonesia’s Directorate General of Customs and Excise is conducting strict surveillance along the coast. The areas under surveillance include Belawan, Tanjung Balai Asahan, Dumai, Jambi, and the Riau Islands.
The Government aims to resolutely prevent, combat, contain, and gradually eliminate smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringements.
Other than the 20 rhino horns estimated to be worth some 1.13 million SGD (870,000 USD), the authorities also discovered within four cargo shipments around 150kg of other animal parts including bones, teeth, and claws.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has called for stronger international cooperation to combat online gambling as the country is estimated to lose around 8 billion USD every year due to capital outflows from online gambling activities.
While praising the efforts of ministries, sectors, and localities in tackling smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeiting, and intellectual property violations, PM Chinh acknowledged that in some places and at certain times, there has been lax enforcement and unclear jurisdiction, leading to increasingly complex developments in these issues.
It is necessary to promptly detect and handle violators; and at the same time, strictly discipline officials, public servants, and officers who show signs of moral degradation, corruption, or collusion with lawbreakers, in line with the principles of “handling one case to warn an entire region or sector” and “no forbidden zones, no exceptions,” the official dispatch stresses.
Although the Prime Minister initially set a one-month campaign, the Ministry of Public Security proactively extended it to three months, starting from May 15, said spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security Maj. Gen. Nguyen Quoc Toan at the Government’s regular monthly press conference on June 4.
Combatting the production and sale of counterfeit food and medicine has long been closely monitored by the Government, the health ministry and relevant agencies.
The Government leader highlighted in the document that despite initial progress in efforts against the illegal practices, with the detection and disruption of multiple operations involving counterfeit milk, pharmaceuticals, and food items, the situation remains extremely complicated.
At a working session with ministries, central agencies, and relevant units on May 14, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh instructed a special task force be formed and a month-long nationwide crackdown launched to fight smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeits, low-quality goods, those with unverified origin, and intellectual property-infringing products.
The Ministry of Public Security will coordinate with other ministries and localities to launch the crackdown, which will run nationwide from May 15 to June 15.
Counterfeit products are being sold widely on social media, with reports of price manipulation, hoarding, and illegal mark-ups, PM Chinh noted, emphasising that these activities negatively impact public health, people's trust, security and order, and lead to significant revenue losses, further disrupting many aspects of social life.
To meet the 2025 revenue target of 411 trillion VND, a 9.6% rise from 2024, the department has instructed regional customs offices to implement measures to boost revenue tailored to local conditions while preventing budget losses.
From March 2024 until March 19, 2025, the ministry blocked 9,515 URLs that sell or import e-cigarettes. Some 9,200 X accounts, 235 websites, 28 Facebook accounts, 12 Instagram accounts and 14 TikTok accounts were closed.
Indonesia is taking strong actions against the illegal imports of goods to prevent such goods from entering the domestic market.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has dismantled a syndicate involved in smuggling foreign nationals from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and Nepal into the country.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on August 8 urged ministries, sectors, and localities to enhance the use of digital technology to promptly detect and address smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods in the context of the rapid development of e-commerce.
