Inp.polri.go.id - Pekanbaru. The Directorate General of Customs and Excise has seized 160 million illegal cigarettes worth hundreds of billions of rupiah during a joint operation at a warehouse in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Wednesday (7/1/2026), disrupting a major illicit distribution network.

“This warehouse has been under surveillance for four months before we decided to move in,” Customs and Excise Director General Djaka Budi Utama said during a press conference at the site, as reported by antaranews.com.

The operation was conducted by the Directorate General of Customs Enforcement, Riau Customs Office, and the Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS), following intelligence analysis and public reports.

Authorities confiscated 16,000 cartons of cigarettes without excise stamps, with an estimated market value of Rp 399.2 billion and potential state losses of Rp 213.76 billion.

The cigarettes were suspected to be illegally imported via Sumatra’s eastern coast and stockpiled for nationwide distribution.

Several people linked to the warehouse are being questioned as investigators trace the operation’s masterminds.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)