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Soekarno-Hatta Airport to implement random security checks on passengers from Singapore & Malaysia

While Indonesia may be known as having some of the toughest drug trafficking laws in the region, neighboring Singapore and Malaysia are not exactly known for their lax stance on narcotics either. Nevertheless, authorities in Indonesia apparently view passengers coming from the two countries as being particularly likely to smuggle drugs into our archipelago and as a result are planning to subject them to greatly increased scrutiny.

The head of Soekarno-Hatta Airport’s management, PT Angkasa Pura II, recently told the media that they will tighten security inspections on passengers arriving from Singapore and Malaysia due to frequent drug smuggling attempts.

"So we discussed with the Ministry of Transportation that there are many unwanted things entering Indonesia from the two countries closest to us, Singapore and Malaysia. Therefore, Pak Minister [of Transportation Ignasius Jonan] will approve random checks for passengers from the two countries," said Budi Karya Sumadi, president of PT Angkasa Pura II, last Friday as quoted by Merdeka.

Budi said that the airport was just waiting for the decree from the Ministry of Transportation to allow them to tighten their security procedures. Transport Minister Ignasius had already expressed his support for the proposal the previous day.

In addition to allowing for random checks, the proposal would also allow airport authorities to deploy plainclothes officers to target suspicious passengers for further screening.

Commenting on media reports about the increased scrutiny on Malaysian passengers, Malaysian Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said he had not been informed about the security changes but said that Malaysia’s Immigration and Customs Departments already ensured that no illegal items were smuggled out of their country.

Despite the renewed threat of executions for drug traffickers, Indonesian authorities claim that cases of drugs being smuggled into the country have steeply risen over the last year.