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it was being reviewed after massive protests, mostly raised by the Moslem community, while the old decree has already been revoked," Fattomy Ansaary, secretary of the council's commission A for government affairs, said.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)