Police Food Task Force Confiscates 201 Tons Of Rice Allegedly Oplosan, 3 Manufacturers Enter Radar

Kasatgas Pangan Polri and Director of Special Economic Crimes at Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Helfi Assegaf (DOK Rizky AP/VOI)

JAKARTA - The National Police's Food Task Force continues to investigate cases of alleged rice trafficking that do not comply with quality standards or mixed rice. Until now, as much as 201 tons of rice from various brands have been confiscated as evidence.

"As of this morning, the evidence that we have confiscated is 201 tons of rice," said the Head of the National Police's Food Task Force as well as the Director of Special Economic Crimes at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency, Brigadier General Helfi Assegaf, to reporters, Thursday, July 24.

Hundreds of tons of rice were packaged in 39,036 bags measuring 5 kilograms and 2,304 bags measuring 2.5 kilograms. All of them are rice with premium labels circulating in modern and traditional markets.

This confiscation step is part of the investigation process against allegations of quality manipulation and violations of the highest retail price (HET) by a number of producers.

Previously, the Food Task Force together with the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) had examined 212 premium and medium rice samples at the laboratory of the Post-Agricultural Harvest Instrument Standard Testing Center.

So far, the results of the examination of 9 samples reveal 5 premium rice brands that do not meet quality standards. Three manufacturers are also said to be involved in the distribution of these brands.

"From the results of the interim investigation, it was found that three manufacturers of the five brands were found," said Helfi.

The five brands include Sania produced by PT PIM; Setra Ramos is red and blue and Setra Pulen is from PT FS; as well as the Jelita and Anak Kembar brands distributed by the SY store.

In order to strengthen the evidence, the National Police conducted searches of five locations suspected of being production sites and distribution of rice that did not match these quality. The location includes the offices and warehouses of PT FS in East Jakarta and Subang, West Java; as well as the offices and warehouses of PT PIM in Serang and the Banten area. The search was also carried out at the Cipinang Rice Main Market, East Jakarta.

"Investigators conducted searches, sealings or status quos, as well as confiscations at production sites, warehouses, retailers and offices related to the evidence needed for investigation purposes," said Helfi.

This case has been raised to the investigation stage after investigators found allegations of criminal acts in the process of processing and distributing rice by related producers.