Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The Indonesian National Police have uncovered one of the country’s largest illegal distributions of hazardous chemicals, seizing approximately 6,000 drums of cyanide equivalent to 20 shipping containers in coordinated raids in Surabaya and Pasuruan, East Java.
The bust, carried out by the Special Crimes Directorate (Dittipidter) of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim), led to the arrest of a suspect who is now in custody. Authorities say the illegally imported cyanide was intended for use in unlicensed gold mining operations.
“This seizure is part of the National Police’s broader effort to curb illegal gold mining practices, which often rely on cyanide to extract the metal,” said Brigadier General Nunung Syaifuddin, Director of Dittipidter, in a statement released Thursday, May 15, as reported by CNBC Indonesia.
Police are currently investigating potential violations of import licensing regulations. Under Indonesian law, only two state-owned enterprises which is PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI) and PT Sarinah are authorized to import cyanide.
Any private use requires a specific permit from the Ministry of Trade. In this case, the suspect allegedly used expired permits from another company to smuggle and resell the chemical.
The Illegal Cyanide Case Uncovered
The investigation began after police received a tip-off about suspicious sales of sodium cyanide. On April 11, 2025, officers raided a warehouse belonging to PT SHC in Surabaya and discovered large quantities of the hazardous material. A second location was later found in nearby Pasuruan.
Following further investigation, authorities named SE, the Director of PT SHC, as the prime suspect. He allegedly imported the cyanide using falsified documents from an inactive gold mining company, allowing him to bypass regulatory scrutiny.
To conceal the distribution network, the suspect reportedly removed all identifying labels from the drums before shipment.
Read Also:
Thai Police Arrest Man Attempting to Smuggle Two Baby Orangutans
Investigators believe the operation had been active for about a year, during which SE imported approximately 494.4 tons or nearly 9,900 drums of cyanide. The suspect is accused of selling the substance without proper authorization to buyers across Indonesia, primarily targeting illegal gold miners in eastern regions such as North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi, and Central Kalimantan.
SE is believed to have established a customer base of dozens of regular clients, shipping between 100 to 200 drums per order at a price of around Rp6 million (about $370) per drum. Police estimate the illicit trade generated revenue of more than Rp59 billion (around $3.7 million) over the course of one year.
The suspect faces multiple charges under Indonesian trade and consumer protection laws, including Article 24(1) of the Trade Law, which carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison or a fine of up to Rp10 billion, and Article 8(1) of the Consumer Protection Law, which carries up to five years in prison or a fine of Rp2 billion.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, with efforts underway to identify additional suspects, including potential accomplices involved in the importation, distribution, and illegal use of the hazardous chemical.
(Raidi/Agung)
