Customs Foils Circulation of 4.02 Million Illegal Cigarettes in Asahan, North Sumatra

The Customs and Excise office has reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating the circulation of illegal excisable goods. Through the Revenue Source Security Operation (ASAP) team, the North Sumatra Regional Office of Customs and Excise thwarted the distribution of approximately 4.02 million illegal cigarettes in Asahan Regency, North Sumatra, on Tuesday (16/6/2026). The enforcement action took place around 21.30 WIB at the Kisaran Toll Gate. The operation stemmed from information received by officers regarding a transport vehicle suspected of carrying illegal excisable tobacco products. Following surveillance and inspection, officers discovered a quantity of cigarettes not affixed with excise stamps as required by statutory provisions. From the inspection, officers seized 79 cartons of HMIN GRAPE brand cigarettes, 141 cartons of HUMER brand cigarettes, and 50 cartons of LUFFMAN Merah brand cigarettes. All of these cigarettes were found to be without valid excise stamps. In total, the illegal cigarettes seized amounted to approximately 4,020,000 sticks. The estimated value of the goods is around Rp 6 billion, while the potential state revenue loss prevented by this enforcement action is approximately Rp 3.02 billion. Head of the North Sumatra Customs and Excise Regional Office, Rudy Rahmaddi, emphasised that the circulation of illegal cigarettes not only causes state revenue losses but also creates unfair business competition for compliant tobacco industry players. “Customs and Excise continues to strengthen supervision and law enforcement against the circulation of illegal excisable goods. This is our commitment to securing state revenue while creating a fair and healthy business climate,” he stated on Friday (19/6/2026). Currently, all seized goods are being secured for further investigation and processing in accordance with applicable regulations. Rudy also urged the public not to buy, sell, or distribute illegal cigarettes and to actively report any indications of excise violations.