Police Reveal Roles of 16 Suspects in Stamp Duty Counterfeiting: From Producer to Courier
The Jakarta Metropolitan Police, together with the Ministry of Finance’s Directorate General of Taxes, have named 16 suspects in a counterfeit stamp duty syndicate. The suspects held roles ranging from producer to courier.
“We have detained and named 16 people as suspects, four women and 12 men,” said Bimo Wijayanto, Director General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance, during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (19/8/2026).
The suspects detained are B, RC, M, TA, RTP, IA, F, H, RH, MIF, SNM, U, FF, NSA, P, and MO. Their respective roles are as follows:
B as producer
RC as distributor
M as courier
TA as recycler
RTP as recycler
IA as seller
F as seller
H as seller
RH as seller
MIF as seller
SNM as seller
U as seller
FF as seller
NSA as seller
P as seller
MO as seller
Modus Operandi
Previously, the Directorate General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance revealed the syndicate’s modus operandi in producing millions of counterfeit stamp duty pieces. Several methods were used.
“From the results of the investigation, the methods used were quite varied. There were stamps that were produced from scratch using raw materials to be sold resembling genuine stamps,” said Bimo Wijayanto during the press conference in Jakarta.
Additionally, some used stamps were reused. The stamps had their signs of prior use removed.
“There were also stamps that had already been used and were then reconditioned to remove signs of use so they could be sold again,” he explained.
He revealed that the counterfeit stamps were sold directly. In addition, sales were also conducted through marketplaces or online.
“Sales were not only through physical shops but also through marketplaces. This is a concern for us because current trading patterns have changed, and illegal products are also taking advantage of digital channels to reach consumers more widely,” he said.
“Therefore, we are also conducting supervision together with law enforcement officials and continuously adapting to the modus operandi,” he added.
In the joint case investigation with the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, officers seized a number of pieces of equipment used to produce counterfeit stamps. One of them was a sewing machine.
“A sewing machine used to perforate paper in an oval shape using a modified needle,” according to the description of the sewing machine evidence.