Labuan Bajo Reports 1.7 Million Illegal Cigarette Seizures
Bea Cukai Labuan Bajo said illegal-cigarette seizures reached about 1.7 million sticks through August 2026. Officials described Manggarai Barat as a distribution route.
By Mukmin John
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 2 min read
Labuan Bajo — Bea Cukai Labuan Bajo reported on 1 October 2026 that seizures of illegal cigarettes had reached about 1.7 million sticks through August 2026. The agency said Labuan Bajo and Manggarai Barat function as distribution and marketing areas rather than production centres.
The 2026 figure exceeded the 1.3 million sticks recorded in 2025 after the formation of an illegal-cigarette task force, according to Bea Cukai Labuan Bajo. Officials said some of the cigarettes came from Java, particularly East Java.
Why the seizure figure matters to visitors and residents
The figures indicate that enforcement concerns the movement of illegal cigarettes through Labuan Bajo and Manggarai Barat, rather than local manufacture. RRI reported that the customs office’s enforcement area covers nine districts: Manggarai Barat, Manggarai, East Manggarai, Ngada, Nagekeo, Ende, Sikka, East Flores and Lembata.
Tribunnews reported that the statement was made during the destruction of state-owned goods seized by customs in Labuan Bajo on 30 September 2026. The report identified Syahirul Alim, head of the KPPBC TMP C Labuan Bajo, as the official who described the area as a distribution and marketing route.
RRI reported that the enforcement total through August 2026 was given to journalists on 30 September 2026.
Sources
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