Antara News·Indonesia·Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 09:17 AM

Indonesian Navy foils smuggling of 3 tons of cyanide from Philippines

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Faradila Alim, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Gorontalo (ANTARA) - The Gorontalo Naval Base thwarted the smuggling of approximately three tons of cyanide from the Philippines in the waters of North Gorontalo, Gorontalo Province, early Monday morning (September 21).

Gorontalo Naval Base Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Andi Arif Mangkubumi, said the operation stemmed from intelligence cooperation between the Gorontalo Naval Base, Gorontalo Customs, and the Gorontalo Regional Police, which detected a plan of hazardous and toxic materials (B3) smuggling via sea routes.

"The team immediately carried out a pursuit, interception, and inspection," Andi explained in a press conference on Tuesday.

The Gorontalo Naval Base's R8QR (Region 8 Quick Response) team, together with Gorontalo Customs, subsequently conducted monitoring and interception operations in the waters near Bugisa Island and Lampu Island in North Gorontalo District. During the operation, officers detected a longboat moving suspiciously in the early hours and intercepted it.

Officers found 60 sacks of cyanide, each weighing 50 kilograms, for a total of approximately 3,000 kilograms. The cyanide bore the "Taekwang" brand and reportedly originated from the Philippines.

They also found four bottles of Tanduay alcoholic beverages from the Philippines, an Indonesian-flagged longboat, KM Aira GT.6, and six crew members.

Andi said the smuggling operation involved a ship-to-ship transfer at sea. A vessel from the Philippines approached waters off North Gorontalo, where the cargo was transferred to a small local longboat for transportation to mainland Gorontalo.

The vessel, along with the evidence and six crew members, was escorted to Kwandang Port in North Gorontalo District before being taken to the Gorontalo Naval Base Headquarters for further investigation and legal proceedings.

Previously, on July 21, 2026, the Gorontalo Naval Base, in collaboration with Customs and the North Gorontalo District Police, also intercepted a shipment of 300 kilograms of cyanide at Kwandang Port.

"This success demonstrates robust cooperation among maritime law enforcement agencies in protecting sovereignty and preventing the trafficking of hazardous materials that could harm the marine environment and endanger people in Gorontalo," Andi said.

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