Semarang Customs Disrupts Circulation of 3.2 Million Illegal Cigarette Sticks

SEMARANG - Semarang Customs and Excise thwarted the smuggling of 3.28 million illegal cigarettes at the Banyumanik Toll Gate, Semarang City, Central Java. The illegal goods were transported by a truck that was stopped by officers early this morning.

Based on the information received, the enforcement lasted briefly from 00.10 to 00.25 WIB. The perpetrators used the modus of disguising the illegal cigarette load behind a pile of galvanized iron complete with a road map that was said to be fake.

This action started from a land patrol held by officers along the Salatiga-Semarang-Kendal toll road since Saturday (8/8) at 21.00 WIB. Around 23.30 WIB, Team 1 detected the presence of a blue truck with a blue license plate that was driving slowly with a pungent tobacco smell.

When the truck stopped to top up the e-toll card balance before entering the Banyumanik Toll Gate, the officers immediately carried out the prevention. The inspection, which was witnessed by the toll officers, confirmed the presence of 205 cartons containing 3,280,000 sticks of Sigaret Kretek Mesin (SKM) type cigarettes without tax tape alias illegal.

The total value of the confiscated illegal goods is estimated to reach IDR 4.87 billion with a potential loss to the state due to this tax evasion reaching IDR 3.17 billion.

All evidence of illegal cigarettes, truck fleet, along with two drivers and a kernet are now secured at the KPPBC TMP A Semarang for further investigation of the case.