Indonesian Police Detain PT MMS CEO in Palm Oil Export Fraud Case

Indonesian police have detained Whu Zeng Xie, the CEO of PT Mitra Mentari Sentosa (MMS), in connection with an alleged scheme to manipulate export data for palm oil derivatives. The investigation centers on accusations of underinvoicing, where the company is suspected of deliberately reporting lower values for its exports in official documents than the actual prices.

According to police, this practice is linked to the export of palm oil derivatives, which are subject to export restrictions, require an Export Permit (PE), and incur export duties. Investigators are scrutinizing 95 export shipments to China conducted between 2024 and 2026 as part of the probe. The Directorate of Specific Crimes under the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department is leading the investigation.

Authorities recently searched 87 containers belonging to PT MMS at Terminal NPCT 1 in Tanjung Priok Port, North Jakarta. This physical inspection aimed to verify the consistency between export documents and the actual goods under investigation. Following the search, police seized approximately 300 export documents, specifically related to "fatty matter" commodities. These documents reportedly belong not only to PT MMS but also to other companies allegedly involved in the commodity's export activities.