Alleged illegal drinking water firm closed down<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta police have closed down a
\ncompany believed to be illegally producing and selling fake
\nmineral water, and arrested the owner.<\/p>\n
"We're still examining the permit the owner gave us as the
\nlegal basis to produce mineral water," South Jakarta Police Head
\nLt. Col. Sisno Adiwinoto told The Jakarta Post yesterday.<\/p>\n
The owner, identified as Theresia, was nabbed by police in a
\nraid in the small hours yesterday on her house in Jl. Bangau,
\nPondok Labu.<\/p>\n
"A number of employees are still being questioned," said
\nSisno.<\/p>\n
Theresia has run the business for about two years, he said.<\/p>\n
"She allegedly sold and distributed water straight from the
\ntap and sealed it in plastic cups and bottles labeled as mineral
\nwater," Sisno said.<\/p>\n
One of the brand names she used was TOP.<\/p>\n
Police also found a large number of used plastic bottles of
\nvarious brands of mineral water in Theresia's house. She said she
\nwas once a retailer of mineral water. "Sharp competition drove me
\nto produce and sell the bogus mineral water," she told the
\npolice, as broadcast by ANteve yesterday morning.<\/p>\n
Increased demand has caused a flood of fake mineral water in
\nrecent years.<\/p>\n
Early this year, police also smashed a syndicate of producers
\nand distributors of fake mineral water and arrested four alleged
\ncriminals at their plant in the Binong Permai housing complex in
\nTangerang.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of bottles were confiscated from the four-member
\ngroup.<\/p>\n
They simply purified groundwater before bottling it in used
\nplastic bottles purchased from scavengers. They then furnished
\nthe bottles with plastic packaging bearing the brands of
\nregistered products, such as Aqua, A21, Aquarin and Asaba.<\/p>\n
The plastic packaging was obtained by one of the suspects from
\nthe printing works where he worked.<\/p>\n
The fake products were distributed to shops and vendors at
\nslightly less than the price of the real thing.<\/p>\n
According to police investigations, fake bottled water can be
\ndetected by consumers because it contains tiny white particles
\nand a sediment.<\/p>\n
So far, there have been no reports of serious health damage.<\/p>\n
The registered trademarks law number 19, issued in 1992, and
\nArticle 44 of the 1982 copyright law mean that the suspects, if
\nfound guilty, face a maximum penalty of seven years in jail and a
\nRp 100 million fine each. (bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alleged-illegal-drinking-water-firm-closed-down-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}