Expired cigarettes destroyed in Makassar

Expired cigarettes destroyed in Makassar

Makassar Customs and Excises Office destroyed 250 boxes, or
151,388 packs, of expired cigarettes of various brands on
Wednesday (see photo) in order to protect consumers as well as
discouraging distributors from putting expired cigarettes into
the market.

The cigarettes came from cities in Java, like Surabaya and
Semarang, and were confiscated during market operations by
customs and excises officials in Makassar.

The customs and excises office was also investigating six
cases involving fake excise stickers, estimated to have caused
losses of Rp 588 million (US$61,900) to the state, an official
said on Wednesday.

Head of the Makassar office of the Directorate General of
Customs and Excises, Djuneidy Djason, said that of the six cases,
four were in Makassar, one in South Sulawesi's Gowa regency and
another in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi.

From the six suspects, authorities confiscated 650 boxes of
cigarettes and 521,400 packs of cigarettes of various brands.

Djuneidy said the cases were still under investigation, with
the suspects allegedly using fake excise stickers.

Currently, his office was waiting for the state-owned
securities paper and banknote printing company, which makes the
excise sticker, to examine the excise stamps.

Djuneidy said the six suspects, who were cigarette
distributors, had been questioned but were not detained.

The suspects face four years in jail, or a fine totaling 10
times the total excise that should have been paid. (JP/Andi
Hajramurni)