Inp.polri.go.id - Malang. The Malang Customs Supervision and Service Office of the Madya Excise has thwarted a shipment of hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes originating from the city of Malang, East Java, during Operation Gempur Rokok Ilegal II. Head of the Malang Customs Office Gunawan Tri Wibowo stated that this discovery came after the Malang Customs team received information about the shipment of hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes via a third-party or courier service. "We received a report about illegal cigarette shipments through a courier company, and we followed up on the information," he affirmed on Thursday (28/9/23). After receiving this lead, the Malang Customs team conducted on-site inspections at various courier service companies in the Malang City area on Wednesday (27/9/23). At the first location on Hamid Rusdi Street in Blimbing district, the team found around 2.770 packs of illegal cigarettes, equivalent to 55.440 individual cigarettes. "At that point, the team confiscated 55.400 packs of machine-rolled kretek cigarette (SKM) lacking excise bands," he said. Continuing their operation, the Malang Customs team investigated another courier service located on Trunojoyo Street in Klojen District, where they discovered additional batches of illegal cigarettes ready for shipment. "At the courier service office, we found 2.390 packs of SKM brand cigarettes without excise bands, totaling 47.800 sticks," he added. The team also checked several other courier offices, uncovering 173.800 illegal cigarettes, or 9.042 packs of various SKM brands from two different locations. "Altogether, a total of 277.200 illegal cigarettes were seized during Operation Gempur Rokok Ilegal II. The confiscated items, along with several individuals, were brought to the Malang Customs office for further processing," he said. As a result of the operation, the Malang Customs Office estimates a potential loss to the state amounting to IDR 18,4 million, with the total estimated value of the goods at IDR 347,8 million. (ar/inp/pr/nm)