The Smuggling Of 20 Million Cigarettes From Cambodia In West Kalimantan Was Thwarted

The joint team thwarted an attempt to smuggle two containers containing 20.3 million illegal imported cigarettes from Cambodia. at Dwikora Port Pontianak, Tuesday (9/12/2025). ANTARA/Rendra Oxtora

JAKARTA - A joint team from the West Kalimantan Customs Regional Office together with Pontianak Customs and Excise, the Indonesian Navy's XII Kodaeral, and the TNI's Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) thwarted an attempt to smuggle two containers containing 20.3 million illegal imported cigarettes from Cambodia.

"The action was carried out at the Pontianak Dwikora Port. Information was not only sourced from the Customs and Excise intelligence network, but also strengthened input from the Customs Attache of France and the Indonesian Navy's XII Kodaeral," said Director General of Customs and Excise Djaka Budhi Utama during a press conference on the disclosure of the smuggling case in Pontianak, Thursday, December 11, reported by ANTARA.

Djaka explained that the disclosure of the case of smuggling cigarettes stems from intelligence information related to the alleged income of illegal excisable goods through Dwikora Port, Pontianak, on Tuesday (9/12).

Following up on this information, the West Kalimantan Customs and Excise Regional Office conducted monitoring and inspection of the two containers that were targeted for operation.

With the assistance of Indonesian Navy's Kodaeral XII personnel, the joint team found illegal cigarettes of various brands without valid documents known to be from Cambodia and had transited in Singapore before entering Pontianak.

The total estimated value of goods reached IDR 50.648 billion, with the potential for state losses that were successfully prevented estimated at around IDR 34.847 billion.

As a further step, Customs and Excise sealed the two containers for thorough examination and deepened the related parties, including container owners, shipping agents, and other parties suspected of being involved in smuggling.

The perpetrators are suspected of violating Article 102 letter (h) and/or Article 103 of Law Number 17 of 2006 concerning Customs, which regulates the prohibition of incorrect customs notification, as well as Article 50 of the Excise Law Number 11 of 1995 jo. Law Number 7 of 2021 related to imports of excisable goods without a permit.