The 'Sugar King'

It is not only narcotics that has slipped into Indonesia through Entikong, a subdistrict at the northern tip of Sanggau regency, which borders Malaysia. Sugar is among the commodities that have flooded Pontianak illegally. Before the a major trader was arrested in May, traffickers plied hundreds of small roads that connect Malaysia to various parts of northern West Kalimantan province.

Long before the uproar over the arrest three weeks ago of Adjunct Chief Commissioner Idha Prastiono and Chief Brigadier M.P Harahap, who were accused of running a drug smuggling operation, various groups in West Kalimantan had raised concerns over the abundance of smuggled sugar. According to Syarif Usman Almutahar, chairman of the West Kalimantan Flour and Sugar Traders' Association, around 3,800 tons of Malaysian sugar was entering the country through Entikong each month. "This is a rough estimate because it wasn't recorded by Customs at the border," he said.

September 16, 2014