Indonesia Customs Seizes Over 9 Million Illegal Cigarettes in Nationwide Crackdown

Indonesia’s customs authority (Bea Cukai) reported two large-scale seizures of untaxed cigarettes in June 2026. In Banda Aceh, customs officers halted a shipment of 31 cartons containing 356 480 cigarettes of the L4 brand that lacked tax stamps. The operation uncovered the use of flannel wrapping and false recipient details to obscure the cargo.

A separate operation in the Jakarta and Banten region uncovered a far larger cache: 8 944 800 illegal cigarettes, including the SS brand, stored in a warehouse in Serang, Banten. The Directorate General of Customs, led by Director‑General Djaka Budhi Utama, estimated that the seizure prevented a loss of about Rp 8.66 billion in tax revenue, with the total value of the confiscated goods at roughly Rp 13.28 billion. Both actions are part of a broader effort to curb the illegal tobacco trade, which officials say harms state revenue and undermines fair competition for lawful businesses.