Malang Customs And Excise Thwarts Circulation Of 174 Thousand Illegal Cigarettes

Illegal Cigarette Illustration (ANTARA)

Malang Customs Supervision and Excise Service Office thwarted the circulation of illegal cigarettes in Malang Regency, East Java, with a total value of hundreds of millions of rupiah.

Head of Malang Customs Office Gunawan Tri Wibowo said, from a number of enforcement operations carried out over the past week, approximately 174,060 illegal cigarettes were secured.

"From the results of the prosecution, there were 8,703 packs of illegal cigarettes, with an estimated value of goods reaching Rp. 218.4 million," Gunawan said as quoted by ANTARA, Sunday, August 27.

Gunawan explained, from the results of the Malang Customs and Excise team's action against the circulation of hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes, there is a potential state loss of IDR 116.4 million. Malang Customs will continue to carry out operations to suppress the circulation of illegal cigarettes.

According to him, the action against hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes began with routine operations at deposit services companies located in the Malang Raya area, or in Malang City, Malang Regency and Batu City on August 21, 2023.

At that time, the team conducted an inspection of the delivery service at Komud Abd Saleh, Pakis District, Malang Regency and found that there were shipments of illegal cigarettes, the type of Machine Kretek Cigarette (SKM), without 200 packs of excise tape attached.

"In addition, there are also other brands, which are suspected of being attached to a fake excise tape of 1,470 packs," he said.

Then, he continued, the Malang Customs and Excise team also followed up on the information received on the illegal cigarette application (SIROLEG) on August 22, 2023. The team then conducted an examination of a number of shops in the Pagak District, Malang Regency.

"From the results of the examination, there is a shop in Sumberkombang Kalipare Hamlet, which stores and provides for sale, dozens of SKM cigarettes and white machine cigarettes (SPM) of various brands without excise stamps attached," he said.

In addition to obtaining information about the shop selling illegal cigarettes, the Malang Customs Team also pocketed other information about illegal cigarette shipments in the Malang Regency area.

"The team then continued to sweep the illegal cigarette distribution route in Kepanjen and Sumberpucung sub-districts, Malang Regency," he said.

After conducting a search, he continued, the team identified a vehicle according to the information received. The pickup vehicle, which is in accordance with this information, stopped at the Ngebruk Public Fuel Filling Station (SPBU), Sumberpucung District.

At the time the vehicle stopped at the gas station, the team immediately checked and found thousands of SKM cigarettes without being attached to excise stamps. There are approximately 7,000 packs or the equivalent of 140 thousand illegal cigarettes.

"The team brought transportation facilities, goods, including a driver with the initials DN and a passenger with the initials SBS to the Malang Customs Office for further processing," he said.