Wow, Cirebon Customs Office Destroys 5.8 Million Illegal Cigarettes, Potential Loss Reaches Rp3 Billion

Officers destroying illegal goods at the Cirebon Customs Office, West Java, Thursday, December 23 (Photo: Khaerul Izan/Antara)

JAKARTA - The Cirebon Customs Office, West Java, destroyed 5.8 million illegal cigarettes and other illegal goods that have the potential to cost the state more than IDR 3 billion.

"The evidence that we destroyed was the result of confiscation during the raid, luggage from overseas passengers, and others," said Head of the Cirebon Customs and Excise Supervision and Service Office, Encep Dudi Ginanjar in Cirebon, as reported by Antara, Thursday, December 23.

According to him, the items that were destroyed were the result of confiscation and also raids carried out by Cirebon Customs and other law enforcers.

Encep said that for illegal cigarettes or without excise, his party confiscated as many as 5.8 million sticks, and this resulted in a potential state loss of Rp2.8 billion.

"We will confiscate cigarettes without excise stamps from 2017 to 2021, with a total of 5.8 million cigarettes as evidence," he said.

Apart from cigarettes, other evidence that was destroyed was in the form of food, cosmetics, "sex toys", weapons in the form of arrows, water softguns, and so on.

Encep continued, these goods have the potential to harm the state, for that his party continues to carry out operations and educate the public regarding goods that must be subject to excise.

"For the total potential loss to the state as much as Rp3 billion, including from illegal cigarettes," he said.

The destruction of these items is symbolically carried out by burning, and also cutting them into pieces. Furthermore, the officers will carry out the destruction in the same way at the garbage disposal site.