DPR asks police to investigate money flow in stamp forgery case causing Rp1 T loss
Member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Abdullah has asked the police to trace the money flow in the case of a cross-province syndicate producing and distributing counterfeit stamps, which could potentially cause state financial losses of up to Rp1.03 trillion.
Therefore, he said, the police and the Directorate General of Taxes should not stop merely at the arrest of 16 suspects, but should also trace the intellectual actors behind the stamp forgery syndicate.
“The intellectual actors or financiers must be uncovered. Given that stamp forgery is an organised crime that keeps recurring, firm action must be taken up to the elite level or the head of the syndicate,” Abdullah said in Jakarta on Thursday.
According to him, the police need to uncover the use of the money flow in the forgery case, and even investigate the potential for money laundering offences (TPPU). He also asked the police to uncover other stamp forgery syndicates besides the one already arrested.
“Who received and enjoyed the proceeds, and whether any were converted into assets. If indications are found, also investigate money laundering,” he said.
On the other hand, he proposed that relevant parties increase public education on how to verify the authenticity of stamps. For example, he said, by comparing counterfeit stamps with genuine ones through the paper, hologram, and microtext.
“I assess that the dissemination through public service advertisements and public education is still not massive enough,” he said.
Previously, the Metro Jaya Regional Police together with the Directorate General of Taxes of the Ministry of Finance uncovered a cross-province syndicate producing and distributing counterfeit stamps with potential state financial losses reaching Rp1.03 trillion.
Metro Jaya Deputy Police Chief Brigadier General Dekananto Eko Purwono said that this enforcement action is a firm commitment of the police together with the Directorate General of Taxes in protecting state revenue and breaking the chain of forgery crime from upstream to downstream.
“The enforcement operation was carried out simultaneously from 24 June to 2 July 2026 in five jurisdictions: DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, and North Sumatra,” Dekananto said in Jakarta on Wednesday (20/8).
The Deputy Police Chief explained that investigators managed to secure 16 suspects with a structured division of roles. These roles include a producer (B), a distributor (RC), a courier (M), recyclers (TA and RTP), and 11 other suspects acting as sellers (IA, F, H, RH, MIF, SNM, U, FF, NSA, P, and MO).