BCW Coordinator, Jimmy Endey.

progresifjaya.co.id, JAKARTA – Bea Cukai Watch (BCW) commends the discovery of 31.648 illegal cigarettes during a joint operation to crack down on illicit excisable goods in Lamongan Regency, East Java.

The operation took place on Monday, September 7, 2026, targeting the Glagah, Karangbinangun, Pucuk, and Babat districts of Lamongan Regency. The largest seizure occurred in Glagah, totaling 28.368 cigarettes, followed by Karangbinangun with 2.080 and Pucuk with 1.200. Violations included cigarettes lacking excise stamps, the use of counterfeit or reused stamps, and the use of stamps for purposes other than intended.

BCW Chairman Jimmy Endey stated that the discovery of tens of thousands of illegal cigarettes should serve as a gateway to uncovering the sources of production and distribution networks, rather than stopping merely at the seizure of goods already circulating among the public.

“Discovering 31.000 illegal cigarettes is certainly praiseworthy. However, for BCW, the real work begins with that discovery. Illegal cigarettes do not simply appear in shops; there are parties involved in producing, packaging, transporting, distributing, and financing them. That is what must be dismantled,” Jimmy asserted on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

BCW believes the concentration of findings in Glagah District warrants further investigation. Of the 31.648 cigarettes discovered, 28.368—or approximately 89,6 percent—originated from that district.

According to Jimmy, such a high concentration should serve as a starting point for tracing the suppliers. 

“If nearly 90 percent of the findings are concentrated in a single district, the investigative questions are simple: where did the goods come from? Who is the supplier? Do they originate from a single distributor or multiple networks? What vehicles are used, where are the warehouses located, and who is the manufacturer?” he said.

According to BCW, enforcement efforts should not stop at the discover-seize-destroy stage, with the case then deemed closed.

“If every operation merely tallies the number of seized sticks while the supply chain remains intact, the same goods could reappear next month via different vehicles and traders. That doesn’t break the network; it only snips off the tip of the chain,” he added.

BCW also noted, that this operation in Lamongan was not an isolated incident. During an operation on August 26 in the Sukodadi, Kedungpring, Karanggeneng, and Kalitengah districts, officers had previously seized 6.776 illegal cigarette sticks. The nature of the violations was similar: cigarettes lacking excise stamps, or bearing counterfeit stamps, reused stamps, or stamps intended for a different product category.

Consequently, these two operations alone account for the discovery of 38.424 illegal cigarette sticks across several Lamongan districts in a span of less than two weeks.

According to Jimmy, these figures should shift the focus of enforcement efforts.

“The question should no longer be just about how many sticks were seized. We need to raise the level of inquiry: why does the supply persist?” he asserted.

Tracing Counterfeit and Reused Excise Stamps

BCW is also paying close attention to the discovery of counterfeit, reused, and misapplied excise stamps. Jimmy believes these three methods could provide leads that are actually more significant than the goods found at the retail level.

“If the stamp is counterfeit, who printed it? Who ordered it? Who distributed it? If it’s a reused stamp, where was it obtained? If the stamp is genuine but misapplied, we must trace who it was originally intended for,” Jimmy said.

He emphasized, that BCW is not drawing conclusions about the involvement of specific parties. Rather, these inquiries represent questions that should be answered through investigations and the expansion of enforcement actions based on evidence. 

“Excise stamps leave an administrative trail. Do not stop at the phrase ‘misuse’—trace the matter back to its source. If our excise administration is orderly, it should be possible to identify where the irregularity originated,” he said.

Don’t Make Small Shops the Face of Success

BCW has previously criticized the strategy for combating illegal excisable goods (BKC)—specifically tobacco products—for placing too much emphasis on educating the public and small-scale vendors.

According to Jimmy, while education remains necessary, the public and small retailers should not be the most visible targets in the crackdown campaign, while the actors within the production and distribution chains remain untouched by enforcement actions.

“The public is constantly educated not to buy illegal cigarettes, and vendors are asked to recognize excise stamps. That is good. However, the state possesses intelligence capabilities, excise data, enforcement personnel, and legal authority. Therefore, the public should also be shown which major players have been successfully exposed,” Jimmy asserted.

BCW also believes that the success of the Crush Illegal Cigarettes (Gempur Rokok Ilegal) campaign should not be measured solely by the number of operations, public awareness activities, or the volume of cigarette sticks seized.

“Do not make small shops the showcase for the success of the illegal cigarette crackdown. The true metrics are how many illegal factories are dismantled, how many major distributors are shut down, how many suppliers of illegal excise stamps are prosecuted, who the financiers are, and how much state revenue is successfully recovered,” Jimmy said.

BCW Urges Customs to Disclose Enforcement Data Across the Entire Supply Chain

BCW urges the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) to release enforcement data regarding illegal excisable goods in a more structured manner so that the public can gauge the policy’s effectiveness.

Jimmy noted, that the public needs to know the proportion of enforcement actions that stop at the retail level compared to cases successfully traced back to distributors, manufacturers, and network masterminds.

BCW also insists, that internal oversight must not be sidelined if, during the course of an investigation, indications of official involvement or negligence arise.

“We are not accusing specific officers of misconduct without evidence. However, there must be no areas off-limits to investigation. If indications of insider involvement are found, investigate thoroughly. If none are found, communicate that transparently,” he emphasized.

Don’t Be Sharp at the Retail End but Blunt at the Source

Jimmy emphasized, that BCW fully supports the law enforcement efforts undertaken by Gresik Customs, the Lamongan Regency Government, and relevant authorities.  However, the success of the operation should mark the beginning of further investigation into the case, not the end.

“BCW doesn’t take issue with the enforcement action itself; in fact, we support it. However, every item discovered must serve as a gateway to tracing the source,” he explained.

According to Jimmy, the crackdown on illegal cigarettes will only be effective if the costs and risks for producers and their distribution networks are made far greater than the profits they reap.

“If the only goods being seized are those found in small shops while suppliers can simply send more, the major players lose nothing. They get seized today, and ship more tomorrow,” he said.

Therefore, BCW urges that enforcement efforts follow a trajectory from retailer → supplier → distributor → warehouse → producer → financier/network controller, accompanied by the tracing of excise stamps and financial flows.

“BCW’s message remains the same: do not be sharp at the downstream end but blunt at the upstream source. Regarding the 31.648 sticks found in Lamongan, the authorities shouldn’t just announce the seizure volume. The public needs to know what follows: who the supplier is, where the product originated, and who the major players behind it are,” Jimmy elaborated.

“If every operation ends with seizures at small shops without uncovering the supply source, we have to ask: are we actually eradicating illegal cigarettes, or just seizing illicit goods that happened to get caught?” he added. (Bembo)