TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Director General of Customs and Excise Djaka Budhi Utama announced that his office had seized illegal goods worth Rp3.9 trillion in 13,248 enforcement actions as of June 2025. He said illegal cigarettes made up 61 percent of the total.
Although the number of crackdowns dropped by four percent compared to the same period last year, the volume of illegal cigarettes confiscated rose by 38 percent. Djaka claimed this indicates improved supervision and greater enforcement effectiveness.
Speaking at a press conference in Kediri, Djaka said enforcement does not end with raids. His office also follows up with investigations, administrative sanctions, and legal action when necessary.
According to him, this approach is meant not only to deter future violations but also to support state revenue collection.
He cited Operation Octopus, which ran from late April to the end of June, as one example. During that campaign, Customs seized over 182 million illegal cigarette sticks and pursued dozens of follow-up cases, including sanctions against factories and legal charges in hundreds of instances.
Regional customs offices have also contributed to the crackdown. The East Java II office, for instance, reported inspections that led to the seizure of tens of millions of cigarettes and thousands of liters of illicit alcohol, with estimated state losses prevented totaling Rp48 billion. The Kediri office alone confiscated more than 29 million illegal tobacco products this year.
Djaka stressed that the crackdown is supported by preventive efforts involving religious and community leaders. Customs has worked with local figures to educate the public about the importance of legal trade and excise payments.
“We cannot work alone,” Djaka said. “The active role of the community, religious figures, and businesses is essential in building awareness that buying illegal goods harms the country. Through this humanistic and strategic approach, we are optimistic we can curb the spread of illegal cigarettes.”
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