Belitung Customs Confiscates Thousands Of Bottles Of Illegal Alcohol From Singapore

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

BELITUNG - The Tanjung Pandan Customs and Excise Team, Belitung Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands together with the East Sumatra DJBC Regional Office team managed to secure the smuggling of 10,515 bottles of liquor containing illegal ethyl alcohol (MMEA) from Singapore to Jakarta.

"We managed to secure 10,515 bottles of MMEA (containing ethyl alcohol) without having an excise tape attached in the waters of Belitung Island," the Head of the Customs and Excise Office for Supervision and Customs Service Type C (KPPBC TMP C) Tanjung Pandan, Jerry Kurniawan in Tanjung Pandan, quoted Antara, Friday, November 12.

The prosecution and security of evidence of thousands of beverage bottles containing MMEA, he said, was a step of synergy and layered supervision between the Special Regional Office of DJBC Riau Islands, Regional Office of DJBC East Sumatra and Customs and Excise Tanjung Pandan.

During the action, the officers managed to secure as many as 1,021 koli or 10,515 bottles of illegal alcoholic beverages or without a class C excise tape attached of various types and brands.

The disclosure began with information regarding illegal MMEA shipments from abroad using a wooden ship bound for Jakarta and having entered the waters of Belitung Island.

"This item is not intended for consumption on Belitung Island, but the final destination of this item is Jakarta. Belitung Island is only used as a transit point," he said.

Jerry added that in order to deceive the officers, the thousands of bottles were removed from the wooden ship and then sent to Jakarta using an expedition service.

"The mode has been through the sea route, they have transferred this item to land to replace the mode of shipping transportation, namely using the services of expedition trucks to Jakarta with Ro-Ro ships," he said.

According to Jerry, the illegal MMEA smuggling has violated Law Number 17 of 2006 concerning Customs and Law Number 11 of 2007 concerning Excise.

"The total potential loss to the state from this action reaches Rp. 16.8 billion, including import duties, import VAT, import PPH and excise taxes that should be paid to the state," he said.

Jerry said Tanjung Pandan Customs and Excise was still conducting research and development on the parties involved in this smuggling.

"While the owner of this drink, we are still conducting investigations and research," he said.