The Bali Food and Drug Agency (BPOM) on Thursday destroyed 15 million units of illegal food and drug products, with a market value of Rp 2 billion (US$192,400), seized in various operations in the last 18 months.
The products consisted of 75 kinds of drugs, 549 kinds of traditional medicine, 70 kinds of food products, 455 kinds of beauty products and 42 kinds of food supplements.
BPOM officials stacked the products in a heap, which they then set on fire.
"This is the largest *cremation' *of illegal products* we have ever organized, and it reflects the increasing number of illegal products being distributed on the streets," said BPOM head Sri Utami Ekaningtyas.
The majority of the illegal products destroyed were produced in and imported from China.
Despite the BPOM's success in confiscating a large quantity of illegal products, Sri admitted a larger portion of illegal products still managed to find its way to the island's unwary consumers.
"I estimate the illegal products we managed to confiscated make up only 10 percent of the total number of illegal products that have entered the island," she said.
Of the 50,000 types of illegal food and drug products believed to be on the market, the BPOM has only managed to confiscate around 4,000.
"This is a very difficult job and we can't do it all on our own," Sri said.
She blamed poor monitoring at the island's entry points and the increasingly sophisticated means employed by food and drug smugglers as the main reasons behind the continuous stream of illegal products into the resort island.
"The island's ports and entry points are very open," she said.
"Most of the confiscated products came from the ports in Batam and Pekanbaru, via Jakarta and Surabaya."
Bali provincial secretary I Nyoman Yasa said the rise in illegal products was triggered, to some extent, by growing demand from the island's tourism industry.
"We urge the tourism industry to use local products," he said.
"It's okay to use imported products, as long as they are safe and of high quality."
Yasa urged the BPOM to improve the effectiveness of its monitoring effort by maintaining firm cooperation with the local health agency and the trade and industry agency.
"The legal authorities, the courts in particular, should also dispense stiff legal punishment to act as a deterrent to the mugglers," he said.
Destroyed products
75 kinds of drugs
549 kinds of traditional medicine
70 kinds of food products
455 kinds of beauty products
42 kinds of food supplements
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