Authorities in Indonesia dismantled a large-scale illegal cigarette trafficking operation in East Nusa Tenggara, seizing approximately 11 million illicit cigarettes with counterfeit excise stamps. The case, uncovered through a joint operation involving police, customs, and immigration officials, highlights ongoing smuggling activity along the Timor Leste border, with estimated state losses exceeding IDR 12 billion ($696,000).
Investigators said the network smuggled cigarettes by sea into the Atapupu area before distributing them across Timor Island, using multiple storage locations to support the operation. Four foreign suspects were arrested in connection with the case, which officials described as part of a structured, transnational network exploiting border vulnerabilities for large-scale illicit trade.