A Chinese tourist caught with 2.5 kilograms of swiftlet nests was secured at the international departures terminal of Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport on Wednesday.
The nests are considered a delicacy, particularly in China, for their rarity and are made for soup, which is said to be a health booster and aphrodisiac.
Identified as CY, the Chinese tourist had five packages of the nests, an estimated value of IDR45 million (US$3,332), reports Bali Post.
The nests are under strict regulation under Indonesia’s Trade Ministry, so Customs was not going to let CY slide without any proof of being a registered swallow’s nest exporter.
Customs realized there was something suspicious about CY when the traveler’s luggage went through an x-ray scanner.
Head of Customs & Excise at Nugrah Rai, Himawan Indarjono encourages people trying to bring such restricted goods out of Indonesia to make sure they have complete licensing documents from the relevant technical agencies.
Luckily for the traveler, CY did not get arrested and was allowed to go on—just without his very expensive bird’s nests.
“In order to not encounter obstacles when examined. Related to this case, we only secured the evidence and allowed the traveler to continue his journey,” Indarjono said.
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