Customs Boss Askolani Ensures Mojokerto's Rp531 Billion Illegal Drug Case Doesn't Disturb State Revenue Targets

Director General of Customs at the Ministry of Finance Askolani. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of Finance)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Finance's Director General of Customs and Excise, Askolani, said that his party appreciates law enforcement officers who have succeeded in uncovering cases of illegally smuggled illegal drugs with an estimated value of Rp 531 billion.

According to him, the case which was detected in Mojokerto is very important to assist the government in securing the coffers of state revenue from the taxation sector. However, Askolani ensured that the revenue target could still be achieved even though the crime value in this case was quite large.

"The decisive steps taken with law enforcement officials and PPATK (Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center) will not affect the achievement of customs and excise targets in 2021," he said when contacted by VOI, Friday, September 17.

Askolani added that this year the government has set a high achievement target in the customs and excise revenue sector. For this reason, the actions taken by law enforcement officers are a strategic part of achieving performance in the Ministry of Finance.

"Receipts from import duties are expected to reach the planned target," he said.

For information, as of July 31, 2021, the realization of customs and excise revenues is known to be Rp. 141.2 trillion or 65.7 percent of the 2021 APBN ceiling of Rp. 215 trillion.

Just so you know, the government is optimistic that this sector will exceed the target by 108.6 percent or equivalent to Rp. 233.4 trillion.

The cases of illegal drugs that reached more than half a trillion rupiah began to be revealed when there were Mojokerto residents who died from taking drugs. The police then conducted an investigation and led to the suspect DP, who was none other than the supplier of the illegal drugs.

Later, it was discovered that DP obtained this drug by illegally importing it from abroad. In fact, he is suspected of committing a crime of money laundering from these business activities with a fantastic value of IDR 531 billion.