Indonesian Navy thwarts secondhand clothing smuggling in Nunukan

The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) intercepted a shipment of smuggled secondhand clothing, known locally as balpres, in the waters of Sebatik, Nunukan Regency. The seized goods, consisting of 16 bales and six sacks, are estimated to have a market value of approximately Rp62 million.

According to Colonel Slamet Ariyadi, Commander of Lanal Nunukan, the smugglers employed an organized, multi-stage method to evade detection. The clothing was reportedly transported from Tawau, Malaysia, via a large speedboat before being transferred to a small longboat in the middle of the sea. This longboat was specifically chosen because its design resembles those used by local seaweed fishermen, making it less conspicuous to authorities.

The operation, conducted by Lanal Nunukan in coordination with Kopaska and BAIS TNI, resulted in the seizure of the longboat and its cargo. However, the suspects managed to escape by transferring to a 200 PK speedboat and fleeing toward Malaysian waters. Authorities have handed the case over to the Nunukan Customs Office for further legal processing and are continuing investigations into the distribution network.