Bogor Police Investigate Cases Of Dozens Of Cipaku Residents Poisoned

Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Bogor City Police, Kompol Lutfi Olot Gigantara. (ANTARA/Shabrina Zakaria)

BOGOR - Bogor City Police, West Java, conducted an investigation into the incident of 94 residents of Cipaku Village suspected of having been poisoned on Monday (3/6).

Head of the Bogor City Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Kompol Lutfi Olot Gigantara, revealed that his party in collaboration with the Bogor City Health Office (Dinkes) had carried out a series of investigative actions, in the form of examining five witnesses.

"And there were indeed obstacles during the examination of witnesses, of which these witnesses were still witnesses and we could not take their statements," Lutfi said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 5.

In addition, he continued, together with the Health Office, his party took samples of food, vomit, and feces on victims for laboratory tests at the Jakarta Health Laboratory Center (BBLK).

"We take the remaining food and vomit from the victims to the laboratory to find the cause or bacteria of the food," he explained.

Police also examined the families of US victims (24 years old), one of the residents who was suspected of being poisoned and died after being referred to Juliana Hospital on Monday.

According to Lutfi, the families who died were reluctant to do an autopsy. However, the Bogor City Police are still conducting investigations.

"So that we can obtain the right information related to this incident, is there an element of negligence or is it purely due to a disaster," he said.

From the results of the examination, dozens of these residents ate food provided by the witness with the initials M, who held a 100-day anniversary of her husband who died.

"Witness M asked the surrounding community for help, prepared several types of nasi uduk food, side dishes, oseng-oseng tempeh, and several other menus. There are also snacks in the form of simple market cakes that have also been prepared," he explained.

From Saturday (1/6) to Monday (3/6), Lutfi continued, several residents who attended the haul and eating the food experienced the same disorders and symptoms, namely nausea, dizziness, and defecation.

The Bogor City Government has also designated the status of this incident as an extraordinary incident (KLB). Based on data from the Bogor City Health Office, the number of residents indicated to be poisoned to date has reached 94 people.