Polda Metro Jaya reveals how to distinguish counterfeit duty stamps

Polda Metro Jaya has revealed a simple way for the public to distinguish genuine revenue stamps from counterfeit ones produced by a professional syndicate, which could potentially cause state losses of up to Rp1 trillion.

Head of Sub-Directorate IV for Specific Crimes at the Polda Metro Jaya Special Criminal Investigation Directorate, AKBP Anton Hermawan, said the most practical test can be done simply by moistening the back of the stamp paper with water or saliva.

“If you buy it and apply saliva and it does not stick, it means it is counterfeit. It is very simple for ordinary people because the paper material is indeed different,” Anton said in Jakarta.

He explained that the counterfeit stamps produced by the syndicate bear a high degree of similarity, reaching 98 percent of the original form based on the examination results of the tax technical team. The main perpetrator of the illegal stamp production is known to be a repeat offender in a similar crime.

To produce a product that closely resembles the original, the perpetrator used a special pressing tool to create embossed and gradient effects, a manual sewing machine to create precise perforation holes per sheet, and special colouring techniques resembling screen printing.

“There is a hologram, but when illuminated with UV light it will not fluoresce. Meanwhile, genuine stamps will definitely fluoresce,” he said.

Furthermore, Anton stated that all raw materials and paper sheets seized by officers during the operation could potentially cause state losses of Rp1 trillion if they had been printed and widely circulated.

Polda Metro Jaya, together with the Directorate General of Taxes of the Ministry of Finance, dismantled a cross-province syndicate producing and distributing counterfeit revenue stamps with potential state losses reaching Rp1.03 trillion.

Deputy Chief of Polda Metro Jaya, Brigadier General Pol Dekananto Eko Purwono, said the operation is a firm commitment of the police together with the Directorate General of Taxes to protect state revenue and break the chain of counterfeiting crimes from upstream to downstream.

“The enforcement operation was carried out simultaneously from 24 June to 2 July 2026 in five jurisdictions: DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, and North Sumatra,” Dekananto said in Jakarta on Wednesday.