Use Of Public Bus Mode, Illegal Cigarette Smuggling In Kudus Thwarted By Customs

Disclosure of illegal cigarettes using passenger buses at the Jati Kudus Main Terminal, Central Java. ANTARA/HO-Humas KPPBC Kudus

KUDUS - The Office of Supervision and Customs Service (KPPBC) Madya Kudus Type, Central Java, has again thwarted the distribution of illegal cigarettes by using inter-city inter-provincial passenger buses (AKAP) at the Jati Kudus Main Terminal.

The head of the Middle Kudus KPPBC, Moh Arif Setijo Nugroho, said that the case was disclosed on Tuesday (2/8) while conducting a land patrol in the area.

Obtained 4 cartons containing 64,000 cigarettes of machine-made kretek cigarettes ready for distribution without excise tape attached. It is also estimated that the value of evidence is Rp. 72.96 million and the total potential loss to the state is Rp. 48.88 million.

The officers also secured a passenger with the initials R (52) who came from Jepara along with the evidence to the Kudus Customs Office for inspection purposes.

Previously, the Kudus Customs and Excise also revealed the circulation of illegal cigarettes with evidence of 300,000 sticks as well as a car to transport the goods on Monday (1/8).

The disclosure started from information about the movement of a car to transport excisable goods (BKC) in the form of machine-made kretek cigarettes (SKM) from Jepara.

The Kudus Customs and Excise team finally found a car according to the characteristics in front of a shop on Jalan Dempet-Gajah, Botosiman Village, Dempet Subdistrict, Demak Regency.

"Because there is no owner and the vehicle is locked, we are working with the Demak Police to evacuate the car to the Dempet Police Station to prevent crowds," he said.

After inspection, there were 300,000 SKM cigarettes without an excise tape attached with an estimated value of around Rp. 342 million. The total potential loss to the state is estimated at Rp229.11 million.

All of the evidence, he said, was taken to the Kudus Customs Office for further processing.