Customs Officials Uncover Attempt to Smuggle Illegal Cigarettes in Tabanan, Bali

The synergy between the Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara Regional Customs Office, along with Denpasar and Mataram Customs, successfully thwarted the shipment of illegal cigarettes in Bali. The enforcement action took place on Wednesday (13/5/2026) around 00:10 WITA on Jalan Raya Denpasar-Gilimanuk, Abian Tuwung Village, Kediri Subdistrict, Tabanan Regency, Bali. The operation began with information received by Mataram Customs officers regarding suspected transportation of illegal tobacco Excise Goods using a truck. Following up on this information, a joint team from the Bali Nusra Regional Customs Office and Denpasar Customs conducted surveillance and tailed the vehicle until it was stopped and inspected. From the inspection, officers found one truck carrying 98 sacks of illegal cigarettes of various brands without excise stamps. The perpetrators’ modus operandi involved disguising the illegal cigarette load by stacking it with other items such as paint cans, sacks of plastic spoons, cardboard boxes of plastic cups, and helmet boxes. The details of the seized illegal cigarettes include 560,000 sticks of Nexus brand, 496,000 sticks of New Nexus, 96,000 sticks of Pad Bold, 172,800 sticks of Reno 09 Mangga, and 76,800 sticks of Reno 09 Anggur. The total seized goods amount to 1,401,600 illegal cigarette sticks with an estimated value of Rp 2.08 billion. From this amount, the potential state loss saved is estimated at Rp 1.35 billion, with an excise value of Rp 1.04 billion. In addition to securing the evidence and transport vehicle, officers brought two individuals—the driver with initials DH and his assistant with initials K—to Denpasar Customs for further examination. The suspects are alleged to have violated Article 54 and/or Article 56 of the Excise Law. Head of the Public Relations and Outreach Subdirectorate of Customs, Budi Prasetiyo, stated that this enforcement is a concrete form of Customs’ commitment to protecting society while creating a healthy and fair business climate. According to him, the circulation of illegal cigarettes not only harms the state in terms of revenue but also creates unfair business competition for compliant businesses. “This enforcement is expected to provide protection for society and support the sustainability of the legal tobacco industry,” Budi said in a statement on Thursday (14/5/2026). Customs affirms that it will continue to strengthen supervisory synergy and enforcement to suppress the circulation of illegal excise goods in various regions of Indonesia.