Government Intensifies Sea and Land Operations to Prevent Smuggling
Jakarta – The Government of the Republic of Indonesia is increasingly intensifying firm measures to combat smuggling practices that are detrimental to the country. Through cross-agency coordination, sea and land operations continue to be intensified as part of efforts to maintain national sovereignty, security, and economic stability.
The main focus of this operation includes border areas, rat ports, illegal sea trade routes, and vulnerable points along the coastline and land routes across the country. By prioritizing synergy between the Indonesian Navy, Bakamla, Customs, Police, and other related agencies, surveillance operations are now carried out systematically and in layers.
In water areas, sea patrols are being increased by operating modern patrol ships equipped with the latest navigation systems and sophisticated monitoring tools. This step aims to identify and pursue suspicious ships trying to smuggle goods into or out of Indonesian territory.
In addition, aerial surveillance through surveillance drones and cooperation with the Maritime Security Agency continue to be developed to expand the reach of early detection of suspicious activities in the exclusive economic zone and waters near the outermost islands.
The North Kalimantan Regional Police’s Water and Air Police Directorate has agreed to strengthen maritime security cooperation with the Marine Police Force Region 4 Sabah, Malaysia on the North Kalimantan border.
“This initiative is crucial to prevent various illegal activities,” said the Director of the North Kalimantan Regional Police’s Water and Air Police, Senior Commissioner Tidar, Wulung Dahono.
According to him, this meeting is an event to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the two maritime law enforcement agencies. With closer synergy, it is believed that maritime security challenges can be overcome more effectively and comprehensively.
On the land side, joint officers are intensifying surveillance in land border areas, especially in the Kalimantan, Papua, and East Nusa Tenggara regions that directly border neighboring countries. The government is also strengthening the intelligence system and logistics tracking to uncover the distribution channels of illegal goods entering through smuggling.
Director of the Narcotics Interdiction Directorate of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Syarif Hidayat said that during a period of five months in 2025, Customs and Excise had prevented the smuggling of 6.4 tons of narcotics in Indonesian territory.
“For 2025 we managed to prevent 6.4 tons of narcotics, an extraordinary amount,” said Syarif.
In order to support the effectiveness of this sea and land operation, local governments are also actively involved in supporting this operation, including through educating the public about the dangers of smuggling and the legal consequences that follow. This approach is expected to create a deterrent effect for the perpetrators, while encouraging the public to care more about the sovereignty and security of the country.
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