West Java Customs seizes 88.2 million illegal cigarettes in enforcement operations

Majalengka (ANTARA) — The West Java Regional Office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) seized 88.2 million illegal cigarettes worth Rp152.69 billion in 3,243 enforcement operations between January and September 2026 across several areas, including Majalengka, West Java.

West Java DJBC Regional Head Finari Manan said in Majalengka on Wednesday that the operations were intended to reduce the circulation of illegal cigarettes, which affects state revenue.

“As part of handling goods seized in enforcement operations, we and the local government have destroyed 33.89 million illegal cigarettes worth Rp50.8 billion at the Majalengka regency pavilion,” he said.

He said West Java was not a production area for illegal cigarettes, but was primarily a transit and marketing route.

Of the total illegal cigarettes seized, around 21 million were confiscated in the Cirebon Customs area, which is one of the distribution routes for illegal cigarettes, he said.

Finari said illegal cigarettes passing through Cirebon generally came from East Java before being sent to various destinations, potentially extending beyond Java.

“The largest volume passes through Cirebon, because the cigarettes come from East Java and may then go to Sumatra, Kalimantan and other areas,” he said.

He added that the number of illegal cigarettes seized reached around 62 million in 2024, before rising to 101 million during 2025.

Finari said the circulation of illegal cigarettes not only affects state revenue from excise and cigarette taxes, but can also disrupt competition for businesses that comply with the rules.

“Illegal cigarettes affect state revenue because excise and cigarette taxes also have an impact on the public,” he said.

He stressed that, to curb the circulation of illegal cigarettes, his office was working with local governments to step up enforcement, monitor distribution routes and educate the public, with support from the Tobacco Excise Revenue Sharing Fund (DBHCHT).

Meanwhile, Majalengka Regent Eman Suherman said the local government had also taken action against 233,788 illegal cigarettes, or 11,689 packets, as of September 2026.

The regency recorded a decline in the number of illegal cigarettes seized in Majalengka, from 890,280 in 2024 to 282,180 in 2025.

“These enforcement operations demonstrate our shared commitment to upholding the rules, maintaining order and rejecting the circulation of illegal products in the community,” he said.