Customs and TNI bust illegal excise stamp production syndicate in Central Java
Customs authorities have reiterated their commitment to stamping out the circulation of illicit excise goods through the dismantling of a network involved in the production and storage of fake excise stamps in Central Java.
On Tuesday, 19 May 2026, the Customs Task Force, comprising the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation, the Central Java and DI Yogyakarta Regional Office of Customs, the Kudus Customs Office, together with the Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), conducted simultaneous raids against the illegal excise stamp production network in two operation areas: Jepara Regency and Semarang City. The operation followed information about activities related to the production of illicit excise goods.
In Jepara, the team seized five sites used for storage and hologram affixing. The five sites were spread across Mayong, Batealit and Pecangaan districts. From these locations, officers seized 71 bundles of alleged fake excise stamps, 3 bundles of suspected fake stamps not yet affixed with holograms, and 2 foil stamping machines.
Meanwhile, in Semarang City, raids targeted three building sites and boarding-house rooms in Gunungpati district that served as a printing hub. Officers seized two printing machines (models OLIVER 66 EZ and OLIVER 258 E2Z), printing plates for excise stamps, one paper cutting machine, 22 rolls of hologram sticker paper, and one file of documents ordering allegedly fake excise stamps.
In addition to seizing the evidence, officers detained individuals involved for further investigation in accordance with the law. In Jepara, 15 people were arrested for affixing holograms. In Semarang, four people were detained (one printing controller, two workers, and one driver) together with one Innova Zenix car, registration K1704Q.
The seized goods and 19 persons questioned have been taken to the Central Java and DI Yogyakarta Regional Office for further investigation. Across the two operations in Jepara and Semarang, Customs say they prevented a massive leakage of state revenue. Based on the value of the total evidence of alleged fake excise stamps seized in both areas, the operation is estimated to have safeguarded potential state revenue losses of up to Rp 570 billion.
The operation also prevented intangible losses to the economy from illicit excise goods, such as unhealthy competition, disruption to the legitimate industry, and potential public safety hazards caused by unstandardised products. The entire operation was conducted safely and under control with security support from BAIS TNI.
Director-General of Customs, Lt Gen (Ret) Djaka Budi Utama, said the action demonstrates the state’s presence in enforcing customs law and protecting public interests. ‘This action reflects the Customs commitment to safeguarding state revenue, creating a healthy business climate, and protecting the public from illicit excise goods,’ he said. Djaka added that success in supervision and enforcement depends on inter-agency collaboration and active public participation. ‘We invite the public to continue cooperating with Customs by reporting indications of illicit activity in their surroundings through official complaint channels,’ he added.
Customs will continue to strengthen enforcement in the customs area as part of protecting state revenue, supporting compliant industry, and safeguarding the public.