Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Directorate General of Customs and Excise foiled the shipment of 8.96 million illegal cigarettes found with no excise stamps.
Enforcement action was taken against two containers during the monitoring of inter-regional and inter-island goods traffic at Tanjung Priok Port.
“This represents a new scheme involving rail transport from Surabaya to Jakarta, followed by onward shipment to the Sumatra region,” the Director General of Customs and Excise, Djaka Budhi Utama, informed in a press conference on Tuesday.
He explained that the estimated value of the goods reached Rp13.30 billion (US$726 thousand), with a potential state revenue loss of Rp8.66 billion (US$473 thousand).
This figure comprises potential excise revenue of Rp6.68 billion (US$365 thousand), cigarette tax of Rp668 million (US$36,500), and Value Added Tax on tobacco products (PPN HT) of Rp1.31 billion (US$71 thousand).
Utama revealed the illegal cigarettes bore the brand names New Humer Special Taste, Humer Filter Black, and Gus’E.
Officers identified two containers suspected of transporting illegal cigarettes, which had been declared as containing pipes and lightweight steel.
The two containers were secured for further inspection at a Temporary Storage Facility (TPS), where the officers scanned the containers to further verify the cargo.
Analysis of the scan images revealed a pattern resembling neatly stacked cartons, indicating the presence of illegal cigarettes. Based on this indication, the containers were secured, and follow-up action was taken through the issuance of an Intelligence Result Note (NHI) by Tanjung Priok Customs.
On Monday (August 10), officers conducted a physical inspection of the two containers and found excisable tobacco products in the form of machine-made clove cigarettes (SKM) which lacked excise stamps (unbranded/plain cigarettes), totaling 8.96 million sticks across several brands.
The two containers had been shipped from East Java to Tanjung Priok Port via freight train. The goods were slated for onward shipment to Sumatra by sea.
Utama conveyed that monitoring the circulation of illegal excisable goods is part of Customs’ efforts to ensure compliance with excise regulations while protecting the public and state revenue.
He added that tackling the illegal cigarette trade requires cooperation and coordination among various stakeholders, including the public.
“We encourage the public to play an active role by reporting information regarding suspected trafficking of illegal excisable goods. Synergy between Customs, the public, and other stakeholders is essential to fostering orderly and fair trade,” he concluded.
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Translator: Bayu Saputra, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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