Authorities seize 525 bottles of illegal alcohol

Authorities seize 525 bottles of illegal alcohol

JAKARTA (JP): Police seized 525 bottles of illegal alcohol
from three big supermarkets in an operation with the city public
order office on Thursday night.

Toha Reno, the head of the office's entertainment department,
said the bottles were seized from Metro Plaza in Sunter, North
Jakarta, Hero supermarket in Jl. Gajah Mada, West Jakarta and
Golden Truly supermarket in Jl. Gunung Sahari, Central Jakarta.

"We seized the beverages because they were not registered with
the agency for drug and food control of the ministry of health,"
Toha said.

He said the supermarkets had permits to sell alcohol if the
alcohol was registered.

Beverages seized included Jack Daniels, Courvours, Jamesson
and Mayer.

"The city administration will take action against the
supermarkets and our office will report this to the governor,"
Toha said.

Meanwhile, city councilors blamed the free sale of
unregistered alcohol in supermarkets on a lack of alcohol laws.

"There is no law to regulate the sale and distribution of
alcoholic beverages because our proposed provincial decree
regulating it was being reviewed after massive protests, mostly
raised by the Moslem community, while the old decree has already
been revoked," Fattomy Ansaary, secretary of the council's
commission A for government affairs, said.

Fattomy was referring to a provincial decree on alcohol
control which sparked protests from ulemas and the Moslem
community who said the government was condoning the sale of
alcohol, which is prohibited under Islamic teachings.

Meanwhile, Head of the Indonesian Democratic Party Faction
Lukman F. Mokoginta said the city administration must control of
the distribution of alcohol in Jakarta.

"The city must also take firm action against the supermarkets
because they have violated the regulation," Lukman said.

The city administration has intensified its operations to
seize alcohol, including those sold illegally in small shops and
brothels.

On Wednesday night, 19,432 bottles of alcohol were seized from
many small shops, Toha said.

"The operation will continue because we know many small shops
sell alcoholic beverages," he said. (yns)