Customs Foils Smuggling of 8.96 Million Illegal Cigarettes via Train

The Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai) has thwarted the shipment of 8.96 million illicit cigarettes at Tanjung Priok Port. The seizure was carried out by the Tanjung Priok Customs Office and the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation during a monitoring operation on inter-regional and inter-island goods traffic.

Director General of Customs and Excise Djaka Budhi Utama explained that the inspection uncovered machine-rolled kretek cigarettes without excise stamps, or plain cigarettes, totalling 8,960,000 sticks. The haul included several brands, such as New Humer special taste (20 sticks per pack), Humer Filter Black (20 sticks per pack), and Gus’E (20 sticks per pack).

“The goods are estimated to be worth Rp13.3 billion, with potential state losses reaching Rp8.66 billion,” Djaka stated during a press conference at Tanjung Priok Port on Tuesday (11/8/2026). He detailed that the losses comprised potential excise revenue of Rp6.68 billion, cigarette tax of Rp668.45 million, and value-added tax on tobacco products (PPN HT) of Rp1.3 billion.

Further investigation revealed that the two containers were dispatched from Surabaya, East Java, to Tanjung Priok Port using a cargo train, with the intention of onward shipment to Sumatra by sea. The Director General noted that this was the first instance of illegal cigarette distribution via the railway network.

“We are continuously active in conducting enforcement and surveillance on routes frequently used for cigarette distribution. Transport by train involves only a single journey without any transits,” he said. “If they use lorries, there are always stops at rest areas or restaurants, and we often carry out prevention or enforcement on those routes.”

Djaka disclosed that his agency, together with the police, is currently investigating the involvement of other related parties for further legal action.