Crackdown in Indonesia Against Illegal Imports of Peanuts from India
21-Jan-2026 11:21 AM
Jakarta: The Indonesian government has begun taking steps to curb the illegal import of peanuts from India. It is understood that large-scale smuggling of not only peanuts but also rice, sugar, onions, garlic, and red chilies has been taking place in Indonesia. The government has received information about this and is now making strong efforts to stop it.
According to local reports, at least 10 vessels carrying the above-mentioned commodities have been seized and detained at the Tanjung Balai Karimun customs port. In fact, an Indonesian newspaper published this news citing a report on smuggling that had appeared in an Indian newspaper. Following this, the Indonesian government and officials became more active, and a crackdown on illegally arriving vessels was launched.
As per available information, Indonesian government (customs) officials have seized stocks of about 1.45 million tons of rice, nearly 100,000 tons of sugar, 67,218 tons of shallots, 7,800 tons of onions, 44,640 tons of garlic, more than 5,000 tons of dried red chilies, and around 1,700 tons of peanuts. The Indonesian Minister of Agriculture inspected the warehouses at the Tanjung Balai Karimun customs and reviewed all the seized stocks.
The Indonesian government has instructed all enforcement officers deployed in the Riau Islands not only to seize illegally imported commodities but also to arrest the smugglers, so that this entire process can be effectively controlled.
Although legal imports of peanuts from India into Indonesia have declined, large quantities are still reaching the country due to ongoing smuggling. It is understood that consignments of these commodities from India first arrive at Malaysia’s Port Klang and are then taken into Indonesia by smugglers.
According to reports, 90% of Indonesia’s peanut imports are brought in through illegal channels. The Indonesian government had suspended imports of Indian peanuts for a few months, but despite this, no shortage was seen in the country, as imports through smuggling increased.