Illegal Cigarette Buyers and Sellers in Surabaya Can Be Imprisoned

Head of the Surabaya City Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) Eddy Christijanto (ANTARA/HO-Diskominfo Surabaya)

SURABAYA - The Surabaya City Civil Service Police Unit emphasized that people or traders who buy and sell illegal cigarettes in the City of Heroes, East Java, can be subject to criminal sanctions in the form of a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Head of the Surabaya City Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP), Eddy Christijanto, said the Surabaya City Government cooperated with the Surabaya Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) along with Customs and Excise Sidoarjo to continue to socialize efforts to prevent the circulation of illegal cigarettes.

"Yesterday (Wednesday, November 23), we conducted socialization with members of the Satpol PP, members of the TNI (Babinsa), and the Police (Bhabinkamtibmas) in sub-districts and urban villages throughout the City of Heroes", said Eddy, Thursday, November 24.

According to him, the purpose of this socialization is so that the Satpol PP, Babinsa, and Bhabinkamtibmas at the village level know what the characteristics of illegal cigarettes are. Not only to know the characteristics, but with this socialization, they will know how the circulation flows", said Eddy.

Eddy said that in addition to socialization to Satpol PP, Babinsa, and Bhabinkamtibmas, the city government also conducted socialization with traders and grocery stores in 31 sub-districts throughout Surabaya. Not only traders, but the city government also socializes the prevention of the circulation of illegal cigarettes to the public.

"On November 15 and 17, 2022, we conducted socialization in four sub-districts. After this, we carried out socialization again in other districts. Thank God the response from traders and the community was good because they knew what the characteristics of illegal cigarettes were", said Eddy.

The Head of the Customs and Excise Supervision and Service Office (KPPBC) of Sidoarjo Type B Customs, Pancoro Agung said, along with the increase in customs and excise prices in 2023, of course, the number of illegal cigarettes will also be more significant in circulation.

Therefore, he continued, the prevention of the circulation and prosecution of illegal cigarettes must also be massively carried out with the Surabaya City Government and the TNI/Polri, as well as the Attorney General's Office.

In the period January-November 2022, said Agung, Customs and Excise of Type B Sidoarjo Customs and Excise have taken action against 1,080 illegal cigarettes. This amount is certainly detrimental to the state of around IDR 300 billion to IDR 400 billion.

"It's not been a year, what's more, in 2023 the excise tax will increase, and I estimate the number of illegal cigarettes will also increase. Of course, this must have the participation of the city government and the community", said Agung.

According to Agung, if illegal cigarettes are not fought together, the central government will find it difficult to detect their circulation. In addition, the government will also lose if illegal cigarettes are still circulating massively at the regional level.

"According to Law 39 of 2007, the money from cigarette excise tax is returned 2 percent, one of which is for public welfare, health, and law enforcement, so enforcement of illegal cigarettes is very important", he said.

Agung said that if illegal cigarettes were not eradicated massively, the Tobacco Excise Revenue Sharing Fund (DBHCHT) received by local governments would also decrease. He hopes that the collaboration in law enforcement of illegal cigarettes can continue to be carried out properly.

"If revenue decreases, the DBHCHT received by the Surabaya City Government will automatically decrease. Therefore, this large-scale operation must be carried out together with the community. Because this DBHCHT will also return to the community", he said.