Bogus excise tax seals seized

Bogus excise tax seals seized

SEMARANG, Central Java: The provincial custom and excise officials have uncovered the counterfeiting of cigarette excise tax bands, worth Rp 4.3 billion (US$ 1,954,545), and arrested the suspects.

Spokesman Daradjadi told The Jakarta Post yesterday that two of the four suspects, identified only by their initials of Hd, 32, and Amf, 35, are owners of a cigarette factory in Jepara.

The two other suspects were identified as E, 32, and A, 40. The fake excise tax bands, worth Rp 250 and Rp 300 each, were printed using a "sophisticated printing machine" in East Jakarta, Daradjadi said.

He also said the four suspects have been transported to Jakarta for further investigation.

He said he suspects that there are more of the counterfeit tax bands circulating in various regions in the province and he is prepared to deploy more people to investigate. (har/swe)