PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. GARUT - The Garut Regency Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) together with Customs and Excise carried out a large-scale eradication of the circulation of illegal cigarettes and liquor (alcohol) in their area.

In the latest operation carried out in the early hours of Tuesday (16/01/2024), they succeeded in confiscating 1.6 million illegal cigarettes in a warehouse in Garut Regency.

Eko revealed that this success was the result of an intelligence operation called Pulinfo (information collection) or intelligence, where the results of this operation were estimated to be a state loss of almost IDR 1.7 billion.

"Based on this information, we followed it for almost 2 days, we only found the warehouse yesterday at 2.15 am, we managed to dismantle the warehouse and succeeded in securing it," said Eko at the Garut Regency Satpol PP Office, Wednesday (17/01/2024).

Since taking office, Eko and the Tasikmalaya Customs Supervision and Service Office (KPPBC) Team of Middle Type Customs C have secured around 5 million cigarettes. This far exceeds Customs' annual target of only 500 thousand cigarettes.

"In Garut, in terms of findings, we always have a lot, for example, for illegal cigarettes, in other areas it rarely reaches 200 thousand, in fact the Indonesian record was once held by our friend from Bekasi, he said it was 600 thousand. Garut can get 1 first. 7 (million illegal cigarettes)," he said.

However, continued Eko, this is a concern, apparently in Garut the circulation is quite massive.

Apart from cigarettes, Satpol PP is also active in enforcing Garut Regency Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 13 of 2015 concerning Anti-Immoral Acts, which implements a 0% tolerance policy towards alcohol. In 2023, they collaborated with the Garut Police to uncover the discovery of 8,400 bottles of alcohol.

"So we are at 0%, which means we can't even have 1% alcohol, that's a violation, we also carry out controls, so we carry out operations," he said.

His party also succeeded in uncovering a case where a housing complex was used as a location for an alcoholic party, where the alleged perpetrators were immediately arrested. This raises concerns about youth activities in the area. He mentioned various modes of selling alcohol, from places where young people gather to minimarket parking lots. Likewise with illegal cigarettes, which are often found in stalls, markets and retailers.

"What is very worrying is that teenagers of different types gather in one house and there they also have alcohol parties," he said.

Eko explained, based on the results of patrols and security, there are several modes of selling alcohol in Garut Regency, such as in places frequented by young people and in parking lots.

"For example, transactions on motorbikes, there are many (modes), so people rarely buy directly from the warehouse, so they buy at herbal medicine places, in public places, only the warehouse is the supplier," he said.

Meanwhile, for illegal cigarettes, Eko explained that they are often found in stalls, markets, retailers, and currently a new mode has emerged where sales are carried out through certain communities, which actually do not have a buying and selling business.

Eko appealed to the public to be vigilant when being tempted by businesses that violate the provisions, because this is risky and the penalties that can be received are quite severe. He also advised the public to report any suspicious activity in the area.

"So if there is a report, we immediately take action through the patrol team, because our patrol (team) is 1 day and 2 x 12 hours, so there are no holidays, Saturdays and Sundays there are (patrols)," he added. (rdp*)