Illegal Alcohol Syndicate in Bali Busted, Customs Seizes 20,000 Bottles

The Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) has thwarted the circulation of 19,142 bottles, equivalent to 14,400.36 litres, of beverages containing ethyl alcohol (MMEA) or illegal liquor in Bali. The thousands of bottles are suspected of using counterfeit excise stamps, with the value of the goods reaching IDR 12.55 billion.

Director General of Customs and Excise, Letjen TNI (Ret.) Djaka Budhi Utama, stated that the seized goods consist of Class B and C MMEA from various brands. From this enforcement action, the state also managed to safeguard potential revenue losses amounting to IDR 2.14 billion.

“In total, the seized goods amount to approximately 20,000 bottles or around 14,500 litres of Class B and Class C MMEA of various brands, with an estimated goods value of 12.55 billion and potential state losses successfully safeguarded amounting to 2.14 billion,” he said during a press conference at the DJBC Regional Office for Bali, NTB, and NTT in Kuta, Badung.

Djaka explained that the uncovering of this case began with intelligence information regarding the alleged circulation, shipment, and stockpiling of illegal MMEA in the Denpasar area. Subsequently, on 23 July 2026, a joint team consisting of the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation from the Customs Head Office, the DJBC Bali Nusra Regional Office, the Denpasar Customs Office, and the TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency conducted an enforcement operation.

During the operation, officers stopped a vehicle on Jalan Padma, Legian, Badung, which had just exited a building on Jalan Laksamana III, Banjar Babakan Sari, East Denpasar. “From the inspection of the vehicle, beverages containing ethyl alcohol affixed with suspected counterfeit excise stamps were found,” he said.