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55 Kg Platinum Worth $40 Billion Found in Indonesian Regent's Car
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

55 Kg Platinum Worth $40 Billion Found in Indonesian Regent's Car

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Indonesian authorities discovered 55 kilograms of platinum, valued at approximately $40 billion Indonesian rupiah, in the car of Langkat Regent Syah Afandin during an anti-corruption sting operation.
  • The discovery was made alongside Rp100 million in suspected bribe money and foreign currency totaling around Rp1.22 billion.
  • The Regent has been named a suspect in a bribery case involving projects within the Langkat regional government, with investigators seeking to clarify the origin of the platinum.

Authorities in Indonesia have uncovered a significant cache of precious metal during an anti-corruption operation targeting the Regent of Langkat, Syah Afandin. The sting operation, conducted on Thursday, July 2, resulted in the discovery of 55 kilograms of platinum, estimated to be worth approximately 40 billion Indonesian rupiah ($2.5 million USD), found inside the Regent's vehicle.

The team also found 55 pieces of platinum metal with a total weight of approximately 55 kilograms in SAF's car.

— Achmad Taufik HuseinPlt Director of Investigation at KPK, announcing the discovery during a press conference.

During the operation, investigators also seized Rp100 million in cash, believed to be bribe money, along with foreign currency totaling around 1.22 billion Indonesian rupiah. The seized foreign currencies included Singapore dollars, Malaysian ringgit, and Indonesian rupiah. Additionally, two bank accounts under Syah Afandin's name with a combined balance of approximately 2.27 billion Indonesian rupiah were confiscated, along with electronic evidence and documents.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has officially named Syah Afandin a suspect in a bribery case related to various projects within the Langkat regional government. Also named a suspect is Yaqub Abdhal Al Mu'arif, identified as a private individual and part of Afandin's campaign team for the 2024 regional elections, who is believed to be the one offering the bribes.

The initial estimate is that each piece is worth around 900 million rupiah. So the total value is around tens of billions of rupiah.

— Achmad Taufik HuseinEstimating the value of the discovered platinum.

Investigators are now seeking clarification from Syah Afandin regarding the origin of the 55 kilograms of platinum. The KPK plans to involve experts, potentially from state-owned enterprises like Antam or Pegadaian, to verify the authenticity of the precious metal. The case highlights ongoing efforts by Indonesian authorities to combat corruption, particularly involving high-ranking public officials.

Regarding its authenticity, we will ask experts, perhaps from Antam or Pegadaian, who have the qualifications to know if the item is genuine or not.

— Achmad Taufik HuseinExplaining the plan to verify the platinum's authenticity.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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