Banyumas Police Reveals Fake NPK Fertilizer Case

Banyumas Deputy Chief of Police AKBP Hendri Yulianto showed fake NPK fertilizer at a press conference held at the Banyumas Police Headquarters, Friday (8/12/2023). ANTARA/Sumarwoto

PURWOKERTO - The Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of the Banyumas City Police (Polresta), Central Java, revealed a case of the circulation of NPK fertilizers that were known to be fake or illegal and not registered with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Banyumas Deputy Chief of Police AKBP Hendri Yulianto said the case was revealed on November 29, 2023 after his party received a report from the public regarding the circulation of illegal fertilizers.

"In the disclosure, we have arrested and detained the suspects," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, December 8.

The case began with the presence of a Granmax car driven by an unknown person offering Bio cre Mutiara 16.16.16 at a price of around Rp. 500,000 per bag in Watuagung Village, Tambak District, Banyumas, on Saturday (25/11).

Therefore, the reporter with the initials TM (68), a resident of Watuagung Village, bought 11 bags of fertilizer at a price of Rp. 4,200,000.

Furthermore, on Monday (27/11), at around 07.30 WIB, TM received information through social media if fake fertilizers had circulated in the Tambak area.

Armed with this information, TM immediately checked the fertilizer he bought and after being squeezed using the fertilizer's hand, unlike the type of NPK fertilizer that is usually purchased through field agricultural instructors (PPL) and the material is brown like soil, so it is immediately reported to the police.

"On the basis of the report from the reporter, Banyumas Police Satreskrim officers arrested four men on Wednesday (29/11) after carrying out a series of investigations," said the Deputy Chief of Police.

The four people arrested for being related to illegal fertilizer consisted of HP (36) alias Bakil, CHA (31), MCH (36), and P (26), all of whom were residents of Bojonegoro Regency, East Java.

The police also arrested a man with the initials AF (40), a resident of Gresik Regency, East Java, who is known to own the Bio crem Muara 16.16.16 fertilizer factory, namely PT Semeru Jaya Gemilang.

In addition, he said, the police are also pursuing someone named Aziz who is currently on the wanted list (DPO).

"In the investigation, we also asked for expert information from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Yogyakarta Agricultural Instrument Standard Implementation Center (BPSIP), and criminal law expert from Jenderal Sudirman University (Unsoed) Purwokerto," he said.

Based on expert information, he said, fertilizer with the trademark Bio cre Mutiara 16.16.16 produced by PT Semeru Jaya Gemilang was not registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and its content did not match the packaging,

In this regard, the Deputy Chief of Police said that the suspects were charged with Article 122 of Law Number 22 of 2019 concerning the Sustainable Plant Cultivation System or Article 62 Paragraph 1 Jo. Article 8 Paragraph 1 letter a and f of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection Jo. Article 55 of the Criminal Code carries a maximum imprisonment of 6 years and a maximum fine of IDR 3 billion.