West Java Governor Oversees Destruction of 44 Million Illegal Cigarettes Worth IDR 65.1 Billion
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi, Director General of Customs and Excise Djaka Budhi Utama, and Garut Regent Abdusy Syakur Amin have destroyed more than 44 million illegal cigarettes. The total value of the destroyed goods reached IDR 65.1 billion, with potential state losses averted amounting to IDR 32.9 billion.
The illegal cigarettes were the result of enforcement actions, carried out both independently by Customs and Excise and through synergy utilising the Tobacco Products Excise Revenue Sharing Fund (DBHCHT) in the field of law enforcement. This destruction was the culmination of operations conducted from July 2025 to May 2026.
The destruction had received approval from the Minister of Finance via the Directorate General of State Assets. It represents the final stage of the enforcement process against illegal cigarettes by Customs and Excise.
In his remarks, Dedi expressed gratitude for the cooperation of all parties involved in eradicating the circulation of illegal cigarettes in West Java. He also urged the public not to consume illegal cigarettes and called on traders not to sell them.
‘Because if no one sells them, then certainly no one will buy them,’ Dedi stated on Friday (26/6/2026).
This was conveyed during a symbolic destruction event at Garut Regency Square on Wednesday (24/6/2026). The activity was the first destruction of 2026 organised by the West Java Regional Office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise together with the West Java Provincial Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP).
Following the symbolic event, all the illegal cigarettes will be transported to PT Mukti Mandiri Lestari (Plan Sadang) in Ciwangi, Bungursari, Purwakarta Regency, to be destroyed by crushing, damaging, and burning until they cannot be reused.
On this occasion, Dedi also invited the public to actively report discoveries of illegal cigarettes. Through active participation from all parties, the circulation of illegal cigarettes will be further reduced or even eliminated.
‘We will create an online complaint application later, and whoever reports will be given a reward,’ he revealed.
Meanwhile, Director General of Customs and Excise Djaka Budhi Utama stated that eradicating illegal cigarettes is not solely the duty of law enforcement but of the entire community. He expressed hope that the public would refrain from buying, selling, or distributing illegal cigarettes and would immediately report any indications of excise violations.
‘Prevention through raising public awareness will always be a better step than enforcement,’ he concluded.
For information, under Law Number 39 of 2007 concerning Amendments to Law Number 11 of 1995 on Excise, perpetrators involved in the circulation of illegal excisable goods can be charged under Article 54. Under this provision, any person who offers, delivers, sells, or provides for sale excisable goods that are not affixed with excise stamps or marked with other excise payment signs shall be punished with imprisonment of at least one year and a maximum of five years and/or a fine of at least twice the excise value and a maximum of ten times the excise value that should have been paid.