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The customs office foiled the attempted smuggling of many containers of scrap steel, each weighing 28,200 kilograms, allegedly contaminated by hazardous waste classified as B3 at the Tanjung Priok Port on Saturday, an official said.

The scrap metal was shipped from England and the Netherlands on false documents, said Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya who was inspecting the containers at Tanjung Priok together with Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo.

“The examination found that the contents didn’t match with the import documents,” Balthasar said.

The smuggled steel came in five shipments between late December and January with 89 containers coming from England and 24 coming from the Netherlands.

Some of the containers released unpleasant smells when customs officials unlocked the doors.

Agus said the importer was identified by the initials of PT HHS, a multinational company in the scrap metal business.

“We honor the presumption of innocence principle, but if proven guilty, [the company owner] could face between five and 15 years in jail,” Agus said.

The import documents specified that the containers contained non-hazardous scrap metal.

“It turned out the steels were dug off from the final resting place and directly loaded into containers. They should have been cleaned first,” said director general of customs and excise Agung Kuswandono. “We already consulted with the Ministry of Environment to ensure that the contents are classified as B3.”

In addition to the customs offense, the importer could also be charged under the environment law, the ministers said.