Indonesia\u2019s Criminal Investigation Bureau (Bareskrim) of the National\nPolice has dismantled a scheme involving the distribution of expired\nimported lamb meat that was intended to be marketed to the public ahead\nof Eid 2026. In the operation, investigators seized nearly 14 tonnes of\nimported meat from Australia and established four individuals as\nsuspects.<\/p>\n
The Head of the Bareskrim Mobile Unit, Teuku Arsya Khadafi, stated\nthat the investigation began following a public report concerning the\nalleged sale of expired imported lamb carcass. \u201cOn 4 March 2026 we\nreceived information regarding the sale of imported lamb carcass meat\nthat was suspected to have already expired. At that time, public demand\nfor meat was quite high ahead of Eid,\u201d said Arsya during a press\nconference in Cikupa, Tangerang, Banten, on Monday (16\/3\/2026).<\/p>\n
Based on the report, the team conducted surveillance and secured\nthree trucks transporting expired imported lamb meat totalling\napproximately 9 tonnes. The meat was planned to be distributed to\nwholesalers for subsequent sale to the public. \u201cThe plan was to sell it\nto wholesalers who would then provide it to the public,\u201d added\nArsya.<\/p>\n
Through case development, police conducted searches at two storage\nwarehouses\u2014one in Poris Block B1, Batuceper and another on Serang Street\nNumber 8, Cikupa, Tangerang. From these two locations, investigators\ndiscovered additional stocks of expired meat.<\/p>\n
The Deputy Director of Crimes Against Special Economic Laws\n(Dittipidter) at Bareskrim, Setyo K Heriyatno, explained that the total\nevidence of expired imported lamb meat secured reached 12,913.04\nkilogrammes, or approximately 12.9 tonnes. The evidence consisted of\ncargo from three box trucks and meat stocks stored in two warehouses in\nthe Tangerang area. Additionally, investigators found evidence of the\nsale of some expired meat to a number of buyers totalling 107.98\nkilogrammes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe investigation examined 10 witnesses, ranging from sellers,\nintermediaries, buyers, to drivers and assistants who transported the\ngoods,\u201d said Setyo.<\/p>\n
In this case, investigators established four suspects:<\/p>\n
IY as the seller<\/p><\/li>\n
T as an intermediary or broker<\/p><\/li>\n
AR as an intermediary or broker<\/p><\/li>\n
SS as a buyer who subsequently resold the meat<\/p><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Setyo stated that IY obtained the imported lamb meat from Australia\nin 2022 with a total purchase of approximately 24 tonnes from a meat\nimporting company. Part of it had been sold, but approximately 14 tonnes\nremained with an expiry date of April 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe suspect obtained imported Australian lamb meat around 2022 by\npurchasing approximately 24,000 kilogrammes, or 24 tonnes, from a meat\nimporting company,\u201d disclosed Setyo.<\/p>\n
Between February and March 2026, suspect IY, together with two\nintermediaries, T and AR, sold a portion of the expired meat to suspect\nSS for approximately 1.6 tonnes with a transaction value of 80.6 million\nrupiah. The meat was purchased at approximately 50,000 rupiah per\nkilogramme.<\/p>\n
Subsequently, SS resold some of the meat to merchants at Pasar\nKebayoran Lama (Kebayoran Lama Market) in South Jakarta at prices\nranging from 81,000 to 85,000 rupiah per kilogramme.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough the suspect was aware that the imported lamb meat had\nexpired, in order to obtain profit, they sold the meat to several people\nat Pasar Kebayoran Lama, Jakarta,\u201d explained Setyo.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Setyo continued, the suspect also planned to send\napproximately 9 tonnes of expired meat back using three trucks to the\nKosambi area in Tangerang before finally being secured by\ninvestigators.<\/p>\n
Investigators coordinated with the Directorate General of Livestock\nand Animal Health of the Ministry of Agriculture to conduct laboratory\ntesting on meat samples at the Centre for Testing Quality and\nCertification of Animal Products. The test results indicated the meat\nwas unfit for consumption.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe organoleptic testing results showed that the meat colour was\nabnormal, it had an unusual meat odour or was rancid and musty, and the\nacidity level (pH) was elevated above normal,\u201d stated Setyo.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was caused by the meat being stored for too long. Therefore,\nthe conclusion is that it cannot be distributed and is unfit for human\nconsumption,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
The suspects have been charged under Article 8 paragraph (3) in\nconjunction with Article 62 paragraph (1) of Law Number 8 of 1999 on\nConsumer Protection, as well as several articles in Law Number 18 of\n2012 on Food and Law Number 7 of 2014 on Trade. They face a maximum\nprison sentence of five years or fines of up to 2 billion rupiah.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-establish-four-suspects-in-distribution-of-14-tonnes-of-expired-imported-lamb-meat-1773654824", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }