Indonesian police confiscate three smuggled jet engines valued at $1.6 million
The Riau Islands Regional Police seized three used turbojet engines in Batam, each worth about 10 billion rupiah, and named four suspects linked to the illegal trade.
On August 15, the Riau Islands Regional Police seized three used turbojet engines in the Batu Ampar district of Batam, each estimated at roughly 10 billion rupiah ($556,000). Senior Commissioner Nona Pricillia Ohei announced that four suspects, known only by the initials LH, AE, AS and DJ, were involved in arranging shipment contracts, logistics and buyer networks. The engines had been held in Batam for seven months while falsified documents were prepared, then moved during a warehouse transfer.
They arrived on a dry-stack construction vessel and were slated for resale in Jakarta as aviation spare parts, a practice barred by Indonesian trade law without special exemptions. Investigators found that the shipping paperwork referenced several inactive shell companies. Police indicated that further arrests may occur as the probe into secondary logistics continues.
