Producers of fake mineral water arrested<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta police have smashed a syndicate of
\nproducers and distributors of fake mineral water and arrested
\nfour alleged lawbreakers.<\/p>\n
\"We finally arrested the four at a place used as a producing
\nplant at the Binong Permai housing complex in Tangerang last
\nFriday, after four months of hunting,\" West Jakarta Police Chief
\nLt. Col. Hari Pribadi told The Jakarta Post yesterday.<\/p>\n
The first two suspects, identified as Henry Handoyo, 36, and
\nTjong Kuan Seng, alias Johanes, 38, are the main players behind
\nthe counterfeiting of well-known mineral water brands.<\/p>\n
The other two, identified only as Sg and Ag, are believed to
\nbe the middlemen working for Henry and Johanes, said Hari.<\/p>\n
According to Hari, the group may have over several months
\ndistributed bottled water to both street and home consumers in
\nand around the city.<\/p>\n
Police have confiscated hundreds of bottled water produced by
\nthem from shops in Grogol, Pesing and Jembatan II area in West
\nJakarta, Hari said.<\/p>\n
\"Although we haven't received any reports from consumers
\noutside the city, the fake products might also be found in other
\ncities in the country,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Henry and Johanes owned a house in the Citra Garden housing
\ncomplex.<\/p>\n
Groundwater<\/p>\n
Hari said that the four-member group simply purified
\ngroundwater before bottling it in used plastic bottles purchased
\nfrom scavengers.<\/p>\n
The culprits then furnished the bottles with plastic packaging
\nbearing the brands of well-known products.<\/p>\n
The plastic packaging was obtained by one of the suspects from
\nhis workplace at a printing factory, said City Police Spokesman
\nLt. Col. Iman Haryatna yesterday.<\/p>\n
According to Iman, among the registered brands used by the
\nculprits were Aqua, A21, Aquarin and Asaba.<\/p>\n
The bottled water seized by police contained tiny white
\nparticles and thin sediment at the bottom of the plastic bottles,
\nIman said.<\/p>\n
The water was in different containers of various volume, such
\nas 500 milliliters, one liter and five gallons. It was then
\ndistributed by Sg and Ag to a number of shops and street vendors
\nwith prices slightly below the original products.<\/p>\n
According to Hari, it was executives of Aquarin who first
\nreported the case to the police four months ago, after finding
\nfault with a number of bottles of Aquarin mineral water sold at
\nseveral shops in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We had been spying on a number of places believed to be used
\nas illegal mineral water outlets after receiving a report, but we
\nonly identified one last week at the house in Tangerang,\" Hari
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Based on preliminary questioning, the suspects said that the
\nused bottles were purchased from scavengers at Rp 45 (two US
\ncents) per bottle and then cleaned with soap and chemical
\nsubstances to eliminate germs and odor, Hari said.<\/p>\n
If found guilty, the suspects face a maximum penalty of seven
\nyears in jail and a Rp 100 million fine each, as stipulated in
\nthe Law of Registered Trademarks number 19 issued in 1992, and
\nArticle 44 of the 1982 Copyrights Law, Hari said.<\/p>\n
\"The investigation is almost complete, and we'll send the
\ndossiers of the fours suspects to the local Prosecutor's Office
\nsoon,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mineral water is widely consumed by many people of all
\neconomic levels at home and work throughout the country. (bsr)<\/p>",
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