Bogus antibiotics seized in Surabaya

SURABAYA (JP): The East Surabaya Police raided a house used to produce bogus antibiotic capsules on Jl. Kali Lor Indah, arrested the house owners and seized hundreds of thousands of bogus capsules at midnight on Monday.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Safaruddin of the East Surabaya Police said on Tuesday that the fake antibiotic capsules were branded Deryclin, Recomycin and Tetracycline.

"The operation was undertaken following complaints from patients who had taken the products. Most of them said they had vomited and had splitting headache after consuming the (bogus) medicine," Safaruddin explained.

He said that the house owners, married couple Eko Budiono and Yuli, had been producing the bogus capsules for one year. "They admitted to having distributed some 500,000 capsules to small shops and roadside vendors."

"We also confiscated hundreds of thousands of unused capsule shells, one hundred kilograms of cornmeal and the equipment used to produce the bogus antibiotics," Safaruddin said.

Quoting the couple, the officer said that the production process was very simple. "The cornmeal was roasted dry and then chilled for 24 hours before chloroquine and dye were applied. After preservatives were added, the substance was ready to be put in the capsules."

Several salesmen had been operating in Surabaya, Bima and Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, Safaruddin said. "A bottle containing 1,000 capsules was sold at Rp 35,000. The original product costs hundreds of thousands of rupiah. With a working capital of Rp 10 million, they said they got a minimum of Rp 1.5 million in monthly profit."

According to the officer, other suspects, including salesmen, were still at large. "We are very serious in handling the case. It is a question of people's lives." (nur/sur)