Aceh Customs Confiscate Tens Of Thousands Of Illegal Cigarettes

Documentation - Customs officers secure illegal cigarettes in Bener Meriah District, Aceh. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Aceh Customs and Excise joint team together with the Civil Service Police Unit confiscated tens of thousands of illegal cigarettes during market operations in North Aceh Regency and Bener Meriah Regency. The confiscated illegal cigarettes reached 39,880 cigarettes out of 1,994 packs. "The cigarettes were sold without excise duty. The illegal cigarettes were confiscated from a number of shops and kiosks in North Aceh Regency and Bener Meriah Regency," said Isnu Irwantoro as reported by Antara, Thursday, November 4. He said the market operation involved a joint team from the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise for Aceh Province, Lhokseumawe Customs, Satpol PP and WH personnel of Aceh Province, North Aceh Regency, and Bener Meriah Regency. Regarding the value of the cigarettes, Isnu Irwantoro said it reached Rp40, 6 million. Meanwhile, the potential loss to the state from the circulation of illegal cigarettes is Rp. 20.9 million.

According to him, the joint market operation is a form of commitment to eradicating the circulation of illegal cigarettes that harm state revenues. The market operation is also an effort to optimize state revenues in the excise sector. The joint market operation is also a joint synergy in the program against illegal cigarettes. The joint market operation is to suppress the circulation of illegal cigarettes, so as to increase Aceh's revenue from cigarette excise revenue sharing. This socialization is expected to suppress the circulation of illegal cigarettes and provide wider space for the sale of legal cigarettes. Customs and other relevant agencies continue to strive to reduce the volume of illegal cigarette circulation in the westernmost province of Indonesia. In addition to conducting market operations, the customs team and partners are also intensifying patrols. "The mission of customs is to protect the public from illegal goods and optimize state revenues from the customs and excise sector. Including suppressing the circulation of illegal cigarettes nationally by three percent," he said.