Kodaeral VI and Customs Seize 3.9 Million Sticks of Illegal Untaxed Cigarettes
Makassar (ANTARA) - The Quick Response Team of Naval Region VI (NR6QR) of the Naval Regional Command VI (Kodaeral VI), in collaboration with the South Sulawesi Regional Customs Office (DJBC Sulbagsel), successfully thwarted the smuggling of 3.9 million sticks of illegal cigarettes without tax stamps.
Rear Admiral TNI Andi Abdul Aziz in Makassar on Saturday stated that the success in foiling the illegal cigarette smuggling came after personnel spotted a container truck repeatedly circling the Makassar New Port area without entering it.
“Initially, mobile personnel observed an anomaly with a truck in the Makassar New Port area; the driver was only getting on and off the vehicle and constantly monitoring, so the personnel then followed the container,” he said while releasing the results of the seizure at the Kodaeral VI Headquarters in Makassar on Friday (8/5).
During the operation, officers grew suspicious of a container truck exiting the port dock area and heading towards a goods transport warehouse on Jalan Sarappo, Wajo District, Makassar City.
After a thorough inspection, officers discovered hundreds of cartons of cigarettes without official tax stamps, after the driver abandoned the container truck and fled on a motorbike.
From the enforcement action, the authorities secured one container truck with licence plate DD 8010 SY along with a 20-foot container numbered CTPU 2743386.
Additionally, 244 cartons of illegal cigarettes were seized, totalling 3,904,000 sticks. The value of the illegal goods is estimated at Rp5.79 billion.
“When the inspection process began around 22:40 WITA, there was resistance from certain dock workers against the Customs personnel. The incident even caused damage to documentation equipment in the form of a 360-degree camera belonging to the officers,” he said.
Nevertheless, the situation was brought under control by the joint TNI AL and Customs team.
From initial investigations, the perpetrators used a compartmentalisation system modus operandi, severing the information chain between the driver, the goods owner, and the distribution courier.
“This modus is employed so that the distribution network is difficult to trace if enforcement action occurs,” he explained.
Currently, all evidence has been secured at the Kodaeral VI Headquarters for sealing and further investigation regarding vehicle ownership and the illegal cigarette distribution network.
Additionally, the alleged assault case against Customs personnel will be processed in accordance with applicable legal provisions.