JAKARTA - Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) together with Fleet One Quick Response (F1QR) Lanal Dumai and Denintel Koarmada I succeeded in thwarting efforts to smuggle 51.2 million illegal cigarettes from Thailand.
Meanwhile, the goods were transported using a wooden ship KLM Harapan Indah 99 and caught in the waters of Kuala Selat Akar, Bengkalis Regency, Riau Province on June 21, 2025.
Head of the Dumai Customs Counseling and Information Service Section, Dedi Husni, explained that the potential loss to the state from this action is estimated at IDR 97.92 billion.
"From the results of the disbursement, we noted that the total number of illegal cigarettes reached 51,200,000 sticks with a potential state loss estimated at Rp97,928,192,000," said Dedi in his statement, Wednesday, July 2.
Dedi explained that the Indonesian-flagged wooden ship carried 5,120 boxes or 2,560,000. Illegal packs of machine white cigarettes (SPM).
"This action is a tangible form of our protection for the community and an effort to suppress the circulation of illegal cigarettes which is certainly very detrimental to the state," he said.
Dedi explained that the chronology of the incident began on June 21, 2025, when the Bengkalis Customs and Excise BC Patrol Task Force received intelligence from the Riau Customs Regional Office regarding the plan to smuggle illegal cigarettes using wooden boats.
"Based on the analysis of the smuggling route, the patrol team moved to Tanjung Sekodi, while BC 069 was deployed from the Panjang Strait as a reserve," he said.
He added that upon arrival at the location, the Harapan Indah 99 wooden boat (KLM) had been found and secured by two units of speed boats belonging to the Dumai Navy in the waters of the Akar Strait.
Furthermore, the ship was escorted to the Aceh Bangsal AL Base in Dumai, with additional escort from the patrol boats BC 20004 and BC 7006. Then the ship managed to dock on the morning of June 22, 2025, and then carried out the demolition and unloading process.
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He said that cross-sectoral collaboration is a concrete example of the success of marine supervision and synergy between agencies in maintaining the country's economic sovereignty.
Dedi also emphasized that this action is a reminder that the circulation of illegal cigarettes is a serious problem that has a wide impact.
He said that from an economic perspective, the state lost the potential for large revenues due to not paying excise duty, while from a social and security perspective, the distribution of illegal cigarettes would create potential criminal acts.
"We also invite all elements of society to support the eradication of illegal cigarettes. This is not only the duty of the apparatus, but a shared responsibility to safeguard the nation's future," he concluded.
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