Finance Minister Suahasil Orders Customs Chief: Continue Crackdown on Illegal Cigarettes!

Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara is prepared to continue the fight against illegal cigarettes circulating in Indonesia. This initiative will be carried out by the Director General of Customs and Excise, Djaka Budi Utama.

“Regarding illegal cigarettes, I am certain Mr Djaka is on it—Mr Djaka was here earlier wearing a white shirt. Mr Djaka, continue the crackdown, agreed?” said Suahasil at the Djuanda Building, Ministry of Finance, Jakarta, on Monday (14/09/2026).

The eradication of illegal cigarettes has been intensified by Customs and Excise in recent times. These actions are set to continue moving forward.

“Mr Djaka has been working with his colleagues at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise; from my monitoring, the detection and seizure of illegal activities have become stronger, and we will continue this,” she explained.

According to Suahasil, the policy does not only focus on illegal cigarettes but also on other illicit goods such as drugs, alcoholic beverages, and others.

“Illegal items are not just cigarettes, but various other things that we must handle,” Suahasil asserted.