Protect Indonesia's Economy, Hundreds Of Thousands Of Famous Alcohol Bottles Destroyed By Customs

Director General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance Askolani (fourth from the left). (Photo: Aris Nurjani/VOI)

The Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) destroyed 162,708 bottles of illegal liquor and 12,649,930 illegal cigarettes.

Based on VOI's monitoring, the hundreds of thousands of destroyed alcohol came from well-known brands such as Black Label, Red Label, firekeeper Saphire, Jeger Meister, Grey wary fire, Jack Daniel's, Gordon's Gin to Jose Cuervo.

Director General of Customs and Excise Askolani explained that the destruction was carried out in various locations such as the Customs and Excise headquarters, and the Cikarang Customs TPP, Bekasi.

"162,708 bottles of beverages contain ethyl alcohol. Then there are 12,649,930 cigarettes, 184 cigars and there are 4,787 other tobacco processing products, extract and tobacco ice. 74,450 grams of customs and 40,292 grams of tobacco slices and with a total value of goods that we estimate will reach Rp165 billion," said Askolani in a press conference agenda for 'Dismantlement of Ex-Coverism and Excise Property and State Rampasan Goods' at the Customs Headquarters, Wednesday, July 31.

Askolani said that the goods that were destroyed were the result of prosecutions carried out by Customs and Excise at the head office and at the Banten Regional Office and the Soekarno-Hatta Type C Customs and Excise Service Office (KPU).

In addition, Askolani explained, Customs and Excise does not move alone, but also involves a number of parties such as the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police, the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) of the Attorney General's Office, and the Indonesian National Armed Forces Military Police Center (Puspom TNI).

"Of course, collaboration, synergy, we always do together to support each other. Sometimes we also support Bareskrim, sometimes we support Jampidsus, we also support Bais and also from the TNI Danpom in taking action," he said.

Askolani explained that enforcement is not only focused on the commodity of Drinks Containing Ethyl Alcohol (MMEA) and tobacco from within the country or from imports but also on other illegal goods.

"We also consistently take action against other illegal goods, be it economic goods, narcotics and other goods that are not in accordance with the provisions of the legislation that enter Indonesia, which later we may convey separately on other occasions," he said.

According to Askolani, of course the current government's consistent steps are to enforce law enforcement and protect the Indonesian economy from the income of illegal goods.

"Of course, the benefits are more than we enforce law enforcement, we also support and protect the Indonesian economy from the income of illegal goods that can disrupt our economy and our trade from legal goods that we should support to support our economy and economic growth," he explained.