October 15, 2025 | 01:40 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A total of 1.6 million non-excise cigarettes have been seized by the Indonesian government from January to September 2025.
Based on information gathered, the Cirebon Customs Office has seized a total of 1.6 million non-excise cigarettes in the Cirebon region, which comprises the City and Regency of Cirebon, Kuningan Regency, Majalengka Regency, and Indramayu Regency. The estimated state losses are around Rp1.2 billion in uncollected excise revenues.
Head of Cirebon Customs Office, Abdul Rasyid, explained that the crackdown is conducted in collaboration with relevant agencies and is aimed at upholding fiscal regulations. "At the same time, we are maintaining the stability of the legal market. We are also collaborating with the local government, especially through the municipal police (Satpol PP)," Rasyid stated in a written statement received on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
Rasyid further explained that the circulation of illegal cigarettes remains a significant challenge regionally. Moreover, these non-excise cigarettes are seized from retail stores, small kiosks, and storage warehouses that take advantage of the weak supervision in rural distribution channels. "No only we are cracking down, in collaboration with Satpol PP, we are also providing education to the public to stop selling cigarettes without excise tape," he said.
All confiscated illegal cigarettes have been destroyed in the courtyard of Wisma Haji Indramayu Building, through the open burning method. Authorities also destroyed 10,053 bottles of various brands of alcoholic beverages and 310 liters of unauthorized palm wine ('tuak ciu').
Meanwhile, the Head of the Indramayu Regency Satpol PP, Teguh Budiarso, revealed that the destruction was carried out in accordance with the Regional Regulation (Perda) of Indramayu Regency Number 15 of 2006 concerning the prohibition of alcoholic beverages, as well as Law Number 39 of 2007 concerning Excise.
"We want to show that the local government is firm in enforcing regulations," Teguh stated. Non-excise cigarettes and illegal alcoholic beverages not only violate the law, but according to Teguh, also harm the country's revenue potential.
"We also urge citizens not to buy products without excise tape," Teguh added, claiming that the cheap prices do not guarantee the quality of the products.
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