A Batam court has sentenced Rio Susanto to two years in prison for his role in the smuggling of 797 iPhones without customs documents. The panel of judges also imposed a fine of Rp 250 million after finding him guilty under Article 102 letter f of Law No. 17 of 2006 on Customs.
The ruling was delivered by the Batam District Court panel led by judge Douglas Napitupulu, with Randi Jastian and Dina Puspasari as members. The sentence drew attention because it was lighter than the three-year prison term and the same fine that prosecutors had previously sought.
The case centered on a shipment of electronic goods with a total customs value of Rp 3,38 miliar. An expert statement in court said the state could have lost around Rp 710,9 juta in potential import tax revenue if the items had successfully left Batam.
The smuggling effort began with a request from Arik, who is now listed as a fugitive or DPO. On 26 September 2025, Arik asked Rio to collect hundreds of phones in Batam for delivery to Sintete, West Kalimantan, setting in motion the chain of events that later led to the court case.
Rio then traveled from Tanjungpinang to Batam in a Honda CR-V. The next day, he picked up the goods from another individual identified as Ajan, also a DPO, in the Baloi Garden area.
When customs officers inspected the vehicle used by Rio, the operation was exposed. Officers found two suitcases and four bags containing eight cardboard boxes filled with hundreds of mobile phones, a packing method that appeared designed to make the load look ordinary.
Inside the seized cargo were iPhones of several models, all in used condition and without any customs paperwork. The court record listed the following items:
1. 558 units of iPhone 11
2. 199 units of iPhone 12 Mini
3. 37 units of iPhone 12
4. 1 unit of iPhone 12 Pro
5. 2 units of iPhone 13 Mini
The judges said the act caused harm to state finances and violated customs rules. Even so, the ruling did not provide a detailed explanation for why the sentence was lower than the prosecution’s request.
The court also set conditions for the fine. If the Rp 250 million is not paid within one month, Rio’s assets may be seized, and if the amount still cannot be covered, the alternative penalty is 90 days in prison.
The case has again drawn attention to the movement of undocumented electronics through Batam’s border-linked trade routes. It also keeps public focus on the alleged network behind the shipment, including the two DPO names mentioned in the proceedings.