Customs and Excise office saves Rp 6.6b from foiled alcohol smuggling

The Directorate General of Customs and Excise foiled five attempts to smuggle liquor into the country through Jakarta in the first half of this year, preventing state losses of more than Rp 6.5 billion (US$6.6 million) in tax revenue.

“The potential losses could have occurred by missing out on customs tariffs and luxury goods taxes (PPnBM),” Customs and Excise Director General, Anwar Suprijadi, said Tuesday.

He also said that counterfeit excise labels had cost the state Rp 2.6 billion in losses in the first semester of the year.

The most recent case of liquor smuggling from South Korea cost Rp 750 billion in state losses.

The importation of alcoholic drinks — including liquor, spirits and wine — to Indonesia is controlled entirely by state company PT Sarinah, and is taxed at 500 percent. (naf)