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BPOM seizes Rp 8.9b worth of illegal, hazardous cosmetics
Most of the products came from China, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, BPOM Chief Taruna Ikrar said in a press briefing on Monday, adding that the cosmetics contained various dangerous chemicals such as mercury, rhodamin, hydroquinone and tretinoin.
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A Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) staff member shows on Monday unlicensed drugs that had been traded illegally on the internet. The drugs, comprised of erectile dysfunction drugs and slimming pills, as well as counterfeit cosmetics, were confiscated in a raid last week on a warehouse in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta. (The Jakarta Post/Umair Rizaludin)
T
he Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has recently confiscated Rp 8.9 billion (US$548,679) worth of illegal cosmetics sold across Java after an intensified monitoring operation throughout October and November last year. The agency further warned consumers to be extra vigilant as the market for illegal beauty products continues to thrive.
Most of the products came from China, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, BPOM Chief Taruna Ikrar said in a press briefing on Monday, adding that the cosmetics contained various dangerous chemicals such as mercury, rhodamin, hydroquinone and tretinoin.
“The confiscated goods were mostly imported, and later marketed through social media. [...] They will be destroyed and BPOM will continue to legally pursue the distributors and business actors involved in marketing these products,” Taruna asserted.
Indonesia, like many other countries around the world experiencing a surge in the demand and supply of beauty products in the last decade, has for years been grappling with the increased distribution of illegal cosmetics sold through different kinds of platforms.
These unregistered products have been frequently found to contain hazardous substances linked to ailments including cancer and fetal abnormalities, and despite BPOM’s regular crackdown of these products, the market for illegal cosmetics has only continued to seize massive profits.
In this latest crackdown, over 200,000 products were seized, mostly found in West Java, where Rp 4.6 billion worth of products were found, followed by East Java with Rp 1.9 billion worth of goods, Central Java (Rp 1.4 billion) and Banten (Rp 1 billion).
Read also: Drug regulator cracks down on illegal prescription skincare products
