A Man In Tangerang Sell Thousands Of Coffee Sachets With Modified Expiration Dates

Suspect of counterfeiting the expiration date of the sachet coffee in Tangerang/Photo: Doc. Banten Police

TANGERANG - A man with the initials HL (38) was arrested by Cikupa Police, Tangerang Police, Banten Police for criminal acts of consumer protection. HL, a resident of Binong Village, Curug District, Tangerang Regency, was proven to have changed the expiration date of packaged coffee. He was arrested on Saturday, October 8th.

Tangerang Police Chief Kombes Pol Raden Romdhon Natakusuma said the modus operandi used by the suspect HL was to delete and re-label the date, month, and year of expiration from the sachet copies.

"Coffee sachets with expired stamps are erased using thinner. After they are removed, they are cleaned and re-stamped using permanent ink. The coffee sachets are then traded back to basic food shops around the Cikupa area," explained Romdhon in a written statement, Wednesday, October 12.

This case was uncovered when a resident became suspicious of the expired label on the Tora Cafe Volcano Chocomelt brand of coffee sachet packaging. It looks untidy as if it wasn't made by a machine. The suspicion was conveyed to the police.

Cikupa Police officers also conducted an in-depth investigation of the information. Upon investigation, the expired label on the coffee packaging looked suspicious.

"On the findings, our officers then coordinated with PT. Torabika Eka Semesta to ensure the authenticity of the product and the authenticity of the expired label. Is it in accordance with the company's codification," said Romdhon.

The results of the coordination between the police and the producers, it is known that the two coffee brands have not been produced since 2020. When the expiry labels of the two coffee packages were shown to the producers, it was found that the production labels did not match the company's codified expiration labels.

"Then the company made an official report to the Cikupa Police," he explained.

Officers then carried out further investigations. After continuing to track them, the officers managed to find and arrest the suspect HL while he was distributing the sachet copies whose expiration labels had been changed.

"When he was arrested, suspect HL was carrying 5000 sachets of which the expiration dates of the two coffee brands had been changed," said Romdhon.

Not only that but at the house of suspect HL, dozens of boxes of old coffee sachets were also found. The item was obtained by the suspect HL from someone whose identity has been known and is currently being taught. To the officers, the suspect HL admitted that he had been carrying out his actions for a year.

The suspect was charged with Article 62 paragraph (1) of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection and Article 143 of Law Number 18 of 2012 concerning Food with a penalty of 5 years in prison.