Inp.polri.go.id - Makassar.  The Southern Sulawesi Customs and Excise Office has seized 7.08 million illegal cigarettes from January to June 2024, potentially causing a loss of up to Rp7.08 billion to state finances.

Alimuddin Lisaw, the Head of the Customs and Excise Division at the Customs Office, said on Saturday (27/7/2024)that the enforcement results have been impressive. 

"The performance of our enforcement teams has been excellent, as we have already seized 7.08 million illegal cigarettes this year," he said, as quoted by antaranews.com..

The operation was supported by local police and the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol-PP) across various regions in southern Sulawesi. Many of these illegal cigarettes were produced locally or smuggled into Sulawesi from outside Java, often arriving via maritime routes or roll-on/roll-off  ships at ports.

Despite ongoing surveillance by Customs and Satpol-PP, and efforts to educate vendors against selling untaxed cigarettes, illegal cigarette sales remain a significant issue. Alimuddin highlighted that the seized cigarettes represent a potential loss of around Rp 7.08 billion in state revenue, with the cigarettes valued at approximately Rp10.32 billion.

The crackdown on illegal goods also involved cyber patrols and intelligence reports, with most smuggled items arriving through Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, either as passenger baggage or air cargo. Besides cigarettes, other prohibited goods, including certain foods, were also confiscated.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)