TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said that there has been a significant increase in illegal beef imports over the last year.
“[Illegal beef imports] have increased ten folds,” Bambang said in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta on Thursday, June 30, 2016.
Throughout 2015, the Finance Ministry’s Customs and Excise Directorate General prevented beef smugglings weighing a total of 23.4 tons. Over the last six months, the Customs and Excise Directorate General managed to seize 385.5 tons of smuggled beef.
Customs and Excise director general Heru Pambudi said that the increase was caused by higher beef import quota set this year.
“We’re also anticipating and conducting an in-depth checking,” Heru added.
According to Heru, the highest frequency of enforcement occurred in Entikong border, West Kalimantan. He revealed that the amount of beef smuggled through the area was small and transported by individuals from Sarawak, “for daily consumption.”
Meanwhile, the largest amount of smuggled beef has been found in Tanjung Priok. The beef mostly originated from Australia and New Zealand.
VINDRY FLORENTIN