The seizure was carried out on Wednesday, March 4, by the Quick Response Team 8 of the 8th Maritime Regional Command (Kodaeral VIII) Patrol Unit, working with the Kerapu-8.26 naval intelligence task force and the North Sulawesi customs office.
Rear Admiral Tony Herdijanto, deputy commander of Kodaeral VIII, said in a statement on Saturday that the case began when officers inspected vehicles disembarking from the ferry KMP Labuhan Haji on the Talaud–Bitung route at Bitung’s ASDP ferry terminal.
During checks on a green expedition truck, officers discovered a shipment of hazardous cyanide packed in 29 sacks in the cargo hold, Herdijanto said.
Herdijanto said the find was suspicious because cyanide shipments require strict handling procedures and specialized transport due to their highly toxic nature and potential risk to people and the marine environment.
He said chemicals of that type should normally be transported on dedicated vessels designed for hazardous cargo rather than on trucks loaded onto passenger ferries operating between islands in the region.
The shipment also lacked official documentation, he added, raising concerns over maritime safety and the safety of passengers traveling on the ferry service at the time of inspection.
Inspection of the 29 sacks showed each weighed about 50 kilograms, bringing the total to roughly 1,450 kilograms, or around 1.4 tonnes, he said.
Preliminary information suggests the illegal cargo originated in the Philippines and entered Indonesia through Melonguane in the Talaud Islands before being transported toward Bitung by truck aboard the passenger ferry service.
The seized cyanide has been secured at the Kodaeral VIII headquarters as authorities prepare further investigation and possible criminal proceedings related to the attempted smuggling case uncovered this week.
Herdijanto said the interception underscored the navy’s commitment to safeguarding Indonesia’s waters and preventing the smuggling of dangerous or illegal goods through the archipelago’s busy maritime transport routes used by ferries and cargo vessels.
Translator: Walda M, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
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