"On December 31, 2025, based on intelligence information from Regional Command VIII, information was obtained that there was illegal cargo on the KMP Tarusi Passenger Ship," said Regional Command VIII Commander, Rear Admiral TNI. Dery Triesananto Suhendi SEMTr.Opsla in Manado, Wednesday.
This information was then coordinated with the Manado KSOP, the North Minahasa Regency Transportation Agency and North Sulawesi Customs to take action.
The Joint Team from Quick Response (QR)-8 Kodaeral VIII, Customs and Excise of the North Sulawesi Regional Office and the North Minahasa Regency Transportation Service, based on this information, succeeded in securing illegal goods loaded on the KMP Tarusi.
The items confiscated were 98 packages of various brands of illegal chicken medicines with a value of more than IDR 1.124 billion.
"The total potential state loss from not paying import duties is Rp286.48 million," said Dankodaeral VIII.
The evidence resulting from the joint team's actions after being dismantled at the Regional Command Headquarters VIII, was then processed in accordance with applicable legal regulations at the North Sulawesi Regional Customs Office.
The chronology of the action began on December 30, 2025, based on intelligence information from Kodaeral VIII that KMP Tarusi was transporting a truck with a load of illegal goods bound for Likupang.
Then on December 31, 2025 at 00.49 WITA, KMP Tarusi docked at Munthe Likupang Port, and at 01.00 WITA the QR-8 Team of Kodaeral VIII in collaboration with the Customs and Excise Office of North Sulawesi and the North Minahasa Regency Transportation Service carried out an inspection of KMP Tarusi.
From the results of the inspection, a truck was found carrying an illegal load of chicken medicines from the Philippines which were indicated to have entered Indonesia without official procedures.
At almost the same time, the QR-8 Team also discovered other illegal cargo originating from the Philippines.
Based on intelligence information on December 31, 2025, an unidentified vessel was also discovered carrying illegal cargo from the Philippines. Following up on this information, Team QR-8 conducted patrols in the waters around the Bitung shipping lane.
