Customs Foils Shipment of 8.96 Million Illegal Cigarettes at Tanjung Priok

The Tanjung Priok Customs and Excise Office, together with the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation, thwarted the shipment of 8.96 million illicit cigarettes without excise bands. The enforcement action was taken against two containers during supervision of goods traffic between regions and islands at Tanjung Priok Port on Friday, 7 August 2026. The operation stemmed from public information regarding the suspected shipment of illegal cigarettes from East Java to Sumatra via Tanjung Priok Port. Based on analysis and information gathering, officers identified two containers suspected of transporting illegal cigarettes, which were declared as containing pipes and light steel. Both containers were secured for further inspection at the Temporary Storage Facility. To verify the contents, officers scanned the containers using a container scanner. The image analysis showed patterns resembling neatly arranged cartons, indicating the presence of illegal cigarettes. Following this indication, both containers were secured and followed up with the issuance of an intelligence result note by Tanjung Priok Customs. On Monday, 10 August 2026, officers conducted a physical inspection of the two containers. The inspection uncovered excisable goods in the form of machine-made clove cigarettes without excise bands, totalling 8,960,000 sticks across several brands. The goods are estimated to be worth IDR 13.31 billion, with potential state losses reaching IDR 8.67 billion. This figure comprises potential excise revenue of IDR 6,684,460,000, cigarette tax of IDR 668,446,000, and value-added tax on tobacco products of IDR 1,317,254,400. Further investigation revealed that the two containers were shipped from East Java to Tanjung Priok Port via cargo train, with plans to forward the goods to Sumatra by sea. Director General of Customs and Excise, Letjen TNI (Purn.) Djaka Budhi Utama, stated that supervision of the circulation of illegal excisable goods is part of Customs’ efforts to maintain compliance with excise regulations while protecting the public and state revenue. ‘Customs continues to strengthen supervision of the circulation of illegal excisable goods, including on inter-regional and inter-island distribution routes. This enforcement action demonstrates that supervision is carried out continuously based on risk analysis and information received from the public,’ he said. Djaka added that eradicating the circulation of illegal cigarettes requires support and synergy from various parties, including the public. ‘We invite the public to continue playing an active role by providing information if they find suspected circulation of illegal excisable goods. Synergy between Customs, the public, and other stakeholders is important to create orderly and fair trade,’ he said. Following the discovery, Tanjung Priok Customs secured all evidence for further processing in accordance with statutory regulations. The investigation process will be conducted in coordination with the Supervisory Corps of Civil Servant Investigators of the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency. Customs also urged the public not to buy, store, or distribute illegal tobacco products. The circulation of cigarettes without excise bands has the potential to harm state revenue and creates unfair business competition for business actors who have complied with statutory provisions.