Tribratanews.polri.go.id – Makassar. The Directorate of Criminal Investigation of the South Sulawesi Regional Police in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade Task Force uncovered the smuggling of hundreds of sacks of imported used clothing in the Makassar Industrial Estate (KIMA), Tamalanrea District, Makassar, South Sulawesi.
“The investigation of hundreds of sacks containing illegally imported used clothing was based on reports from the public following the activities of workers who were packing the clothes,” South Sulawesi Regional Police Director of Criminal Investigation Senior Commissioner Helmy Kwarta Kusuma Rauf said as quoted by Antaranews.com on Wednesday (3/29/23).
He said that following the information, his team and the Ministry of Trade Task Force traced and raided the warehouse in the KIMA area and confiscated the evidence.
The owner of the smuggled clothing immediately fled from the warehouse. However, the police investigators have got his identity.
A police line has been installed to secure the warehouse. The investigators have also confiscated hundreds of sacks of used clothes, which were set to be transported to the South Sulawesi Regional Police Office.
The Director added that the team is set to continue coordinating, patrolling, and monitoring the entry of imported used clothing into the South Sulawesi region.
Previously, the Chief of South Sulawesi Regional Police Inspector General Nana Sudjana has vowed to take action against the imported used clothing goods smugglers by the order of the Chief of Indonesian National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo because it is considered disruptive to the domestic textile industry.
The order is in line with the Minister of Trade Regulation No. 51/2015 on the Prohibition of Imports of Used Clothes and the Minister of Trade Regulation No. 40/2022 on Amendments to the Minister of Trade Regulation No. 18/2021 on Export Prohibited Goods and Import Prohibited Goods.
(sy/hn/um)
