he Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) in Serang, Banten, destroyed on Wednesday confiscated food and drugs worth Rp 11.86 billion (US$893,341.45). A total of 453,084 items of 3,129 different products were destroyed.
“These products were confiscated during monitoring and investigation activities conducted by BPOM Serang from the middle of 2016 through June this year,” said Nurma Hidayati, the deputy head of the narcotics monitoring division at the BPOM’s central office in Jakarta.
Nurma directly led activities to destroy the illegal drugs and food at the BPOM Serang office on Wednesday.
“Like in previous years, products destroyed today are still mostly illegal and chemically tainted traditional drug products and illegal cosmetics. Suspected perpetrators of the crime had illegally produced and distributed the goods,” said Nurma.
The BPOM said 2,522 (30,227 items) out of the total 3,129 products were drugs, traditional medicines, cosmetics and food products without a distribution permit from the agency. The goods were worth almost Rp 500 million.
Meanwhile, the remaining 607 products (404,857 items) were illegal traditional medicines, cosmetics, drugs and food worth Rp 11.36 billion. All of the goods were destroyed with a court order.
The BPOM has also charged the alleged perpetrators under Law No.18/2012 on food and Law No.36/2009 on health. They face a maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment. (ebf)
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