Operation Nusa Maleo: North Sulawesi Customs Thwarts 130 Illegal Excise Cases in June 2026
The Regional Office of Customs and Excise for Northern Sulawesi (Kanwil Bea Cukai Sulbagtara), together with all working units in its jurisdiction, successfully recorded 130 enforcement actions against illegal excisable goods during Operation Nusa Maleo 2026, which ran from 1 to 30 June 2026. Operation Nusa Maleo is an integrated customs supervision initiative focused on eradicating the circulation of illegal excisable goods, particularly tobacco products and beverages containing ethyl alcohol. Through patrols, inspections, enforcement, and public education, the operation aims to protect the public from the circulation of illegal excisable goods, create a healthy business climate, and secure state rights.
During the operation, North Sulawesi Customs carried out 107 enforcement actions against tobacco products, seizing 739,270 illicit cigarettes, and 23 actions against illegal alcoholic beverages, with total evidence amounting to 1,117.4 litres. Customs applied an ultimum remedium mechanism worth Rp 130,334,000 and escalated two cases to the investigation stage. The evaluation of the operation showed that the distribution of illegal cigarettes is still dominated by the Trans Sulawesi land route using intercity buses and travel vehicles. Additionally, the use of courier service companies such as J&T Cargo and Pos Indonesia is increasingly rising as a means of delivery to trade centres in Manado and Gorontalo. Meanwhile, enforcement against illegal alcoholic beverages was concentrated in tourism, entertainment, and hospitality areas in Manado, Bitung, and Luwuk, indicating high demand in that sector.
The operation, conducted in Boalemo and Pohuwato Regencies, found that illegal cigarettes had circulated down to rural retail stalls. From inspections of 16 kiosks, officers took legal action while also providing preventive education to 36 other kiosks to stop selling illegal cigarettes. Based on the evaluation results, Pantoloan Customs recorded the highest value of seized goods during the operation period, reaching Rp 357,207,000 with potential state losses of Rp 233,029,200, followed by Morowali Customs with a seized goods value of Rp 106,029,000.
One notable enforcement action during Operation Nusa Maleo was carried out by Pantoloan Customs on 8 June 2026 at the Tipo Bus Terminal in Palu. Officers foiled the smuggling of 224,000 illicit cigarettes without excise stamps of the Smith and Marbol brands, packed in seven bales. The case has been escalated to the investigation stage for alleged violations of Law Number 11 of 1995 on Excise, as amended by Law Number 7 of 2021 on Harmonisation of Tax Regulations. In addition to curbing the circulation of illegal excisable goods, Operation Nusa Maleo also contributed to safeguarding state revenue. Through the ultimum remedium mechanism, state revenue secured reached Rp 130,334,000. The successful disclosure of various illegal cigarette and alcoholic beverage cases prevented greater potential state losses from the circulation of excisable goods without fulfilling excise payment obligations.
Head of the North Sulawesi Customs Regional Office, Zaky Firmansyah, stated that the results of Operation Nusa Maleo 2026 demonstrate Customs’ commitment to protecting the public from the circulation of illegal excisable goods while securing state rights. He said the success was the result of synergy among all working units within the North Sulawesi Customs Regional Office, together with law enforcement officials, local governments, and public participation. “Enforcement is the last resort, whereas our main goal is to build compliance. Therefore, we will continue to prioritise synergy, education, and adaptive supervision to narrow the space for the circulation of illegal excisable goods, maintain a healthy business climate, and protect state revenue,” Zaky said.