Customs Authority Targets Illegal Luxury Watch Retailers Following Gold Shop Seals
Jakarta — The Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) Jakarta Regional Office is expanding its surveillance of illegally imported luxury goods. After targeting several gold jewellery retailers, the agency has now turned its attention to luxury watch retailers.
Siswo Kristiyanto, Head of the Enforcement Section at DJBC Jakarta Regional Office, stated that the agency has obtained data indicating the shipment of watches from overseas without complying with proper customs procedures.
“Our focus is on high-value items such as luxury watches entering Indonesian customs territory, particularly those that have not been reported or have been incorrectly reported in import documents,” Siswo said on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
Accordingly, inspections of several luxury watch shops across various Jakarta districts were conducted. However, Siswo noted that the DJBC Jakarta Regional Office has not yet taken sealing measures, as the inspections are designed to ensure that luxury items for sale comply with customs obligations, including import reporting and payment of import duties and taxes.
In the inspection operations at shops whose numbers and names remain undisclosed, Siswo emphasised that the Jakarta Regional Office ensures consistency between merchandise being traded and the documentation held by companies.
If goods lack detailed verification, business owners are requested to provide further clarification at the Customs Office.
“This activity involves no sealing. We are simply ensuring that goods in the shop match the documentation. If there are items not yet verified, we communicate with the business owner to provide clarification,” Siswo stated firmly.
Siswo added that the current inspection is the fifth of its kind. Previously, DJBC Jakarta Regional Office had conducted inspections and administrative investigations at several shops, including luxury imported jewellery retailers Tiffany & Co and Bening Luxury.
From a customs perspective, Siswo emphasised that problematic imported goods in circulation, including smuggled illegal goods, potentially fall within criminal jurisdiction. However, he stressed that the law enforcement approach currently being adopted prioritises administrative procedures.
“At present, we prioritise compliance with administrative obligations such as payment of import duties and taxes to ensure companies adhere more closely to customs regulations,” Siswo said.
On this basis, Customs has also urged business operators who have not yet fulfilled customs obligations to coordinate with DJBC Jakarta Regional Office before further supervisory measures are taken.
Customs officers at the Jakarta Regional Office, he stated, are conducting enforcement based on customs legislation provisions, namely Article 74 Subsection (1) and/or Article 103 of Law Number 17 of 2006.
“To tighten surveillance of the circulation of imported luxury goods, particularly high-value watches, ensuring compliance with customs administration procedures and tax regulations,” he concluded.