National Police Hunts Formalin Fish Warehouse In Palembang

PALEMBANG - Palembang Police personnel together with BBPOM (Indonesian Food and Drug Authority) and the local fish quarantine center raided a storage warehouse containing formalin fish at the Jakabaring Central Market in Palembang, South Sumatra.

Head of Palembang City Resort Police, Grand Commissioner Irvan Prawira Satya Putra said that the total weight of the formalin fish that was secured reached 8.3 tons and his party secured two people with the initials I and Z during the raid.

"They are both distributors who brought the fish to Palembang. We are still investigating the source of this fish with the 'Isti' brand," he said as quoted by Antara, Friday, April 30.

According to him, this type of snapper fish has been produced and some of it has been circulating among the people of Palembang during the past year.

The discovery of this fish warehouse was first known from a public report regarding the presence of one kilogram of milled snapper which was suspected to contain formaldehyde during market operations.

Furthermore, the Palembang BPOM Team tested the sample and found that the fish contained formaldehyde in levels of use which were very dangerous if consumed by the public.

"Because soon Lebaran and demand will increase, the perpetrators will increase the stock, fortunately, we will act immediately," he said.

Furthermore, the fish weighing 8.3 tons was confiscated and destroyed by burying it and temporarily installing a police line for irregularities.

"We will thoroughly investigate this finding to its source," he stressed.