Customs Uncovers Illegal Liquor Syndicate in Bali, Seized 20 Thousand Bottles

JAKARTA - The Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) has thwarted the circulation of 19,142 bottles or the equivalent of 14,400.36 liters of alcoholic beverages (MMEA) or illegal liquor (miras) in Bali. Thousands of bottles are suspected of using fake tax tape with a goods value of IDR 12.55 billion.

Director General of Customs and Excise, Lieutenant General TNI (Ret.) Djaka Budhi Utama said the goods resulting from the action consisted of MMEA grades B and C from various brands.

From the action, the state also managed to save potential revenue losses of IDR 2.14 billion.

"In total, the goods seized amounted to approximately 20,000 bottles or around 14,500 liters of MMEA grade B and grade C of various brands, with an estimated value of goods of IDR 12.55 billion and the potential loss of the state that has been saved as much as IDR 2.14 billion," he said as quoted from a written statement, Wednesday, July 29.

Djaka explained that the disclosure of this case began with intelligence information related to the alleged circulation, shipment, and hoarding of illegal MMEA in the Denpasar area. Then, on July 23, 2026, a joint team consisting of the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation of the Customs Headquarters, the DJBC Bali Nusra Regional Office, the Denpasar KPPBC, and the TNI BAIS carried out enforcement operations.

During the operation, officers stopped a vehicle on Jalan Padma, Legian, Badung, which had just come out of a building on Jalan Laksamana III, Banjar Babakan Sari, East Denpasar.

"From the results of the inspection of the vehicle, it was found that the drink contained ethyl alcohol which was wrapped in a tax tape suspected of being fake," he said.