Customs and Semarang City Government Destroy Illegal Goods Worth Billions of Rupiah
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG - The Semarang Customs Office collaborated with the Semarang City Government to destroy millions of illegal cigarettes and thousands of litres of beverages containing ethyl alcohol (MMEA) in the courtyard of the Semarang City Hall on Wednesday (15/4/2026). This destruction is part of a programme to utilise excise revenue-sharing funds from tobacco products (DBH CHT) and serves as an educational tool regarding the dangers of illegal excisable goods (BKC) that threaten the domestic industry.
The destroyed items are illegal BKC seized by the Semarang Customs Office from June to December 2025, which have been declared as state-owned goods (BMMN).
The details of the destroyed items include 7,397,830 illegal cigarettes of the cigarette type and 3,318 litres of MMEA. The total estimated value of the destroyed goods is Rp11,487,708,690.00, with potential state losses saved amounting to Rp7,657,664,798.00.
The Head of the Semarang Customs Office, Mochamad Syuhadak, explained that the crackdown on illegal goods is inseparable from the high vigilance of officers against increasingly complex violation methods. Customs has encountered various deception attempts, such as the use of modified private vehicles with suspensions adjusted to appear normal even when fully loaded.
“We also found methods using special compartments under loads of plastic waste and coconuts to deceive field officers, as well as shipments via buses and parcel services with misdeclaration tactics reported as sarongs, prayer caps, perfume, or books,” Syuhadak revealed.
All the illegal cigarettes were destroyed through incineration in cooperation with PT Wastec International Semarang. The destruction was carried out by burning at high temperatures up to 1,200 degrees Celsius to ensure the goods are completely destroyed while remaining safe for the environment. Meanwhile, the illegal MMEA was destroyed by symbolically pouring it out before being transported to the final destruction facility.
This destruction activity is evidence of the ongoing commitment of the Semarang Customs Office together with the Semarang City Government in supporting the “Crackdown on Illegal Cigarettes” efforts. Through solid cross-agency collaboration, it is hoped that the space for the circulation of illegal goods will become narrower, thereby maximising protection for the public.
“The Semarang Customs Office will continue to strengthen synergy with all law enforcement agencies and community elements to ensure a healthy business climate and optimise state revenue for sustainable national development,” said Syuhadak.