Fake cooking oil producers nabbed

Fake cooking oil producers nabbed

JAKARTA (JP): City Police yesterday arrested eight people for allegedly producing cooking oil illegally in a factory in Cikarang, East Jakarta.

Police officer Col. Heniyoso told reporters that seven of the arrested people were believed to be the factory's workers and the other one was the owner.

Heniyoso said that the factory had no permit from the Ministry of Industry and that its produce had no trademark and was not registered with the Directorate General of Drug and Food Monitoring.

The company's owner, Wida Wijaya, alias Akao, acknowledged yesterday that his factory had produced cooking oil illegally for a year.

Akao said that his factory produced about 600 liters of cooking oil per day.

The oil was produced, he said, by mixing water with sulfuric acid and palm oil. The mixture was boiled before being sold, he added.

The fake oil was distributed in West Javanese cities, including Cimahi, Tasikmalaya, Bekasi and Kerawang, Akao said.

Heniyoso said that police had confiscated three drums of cooking oil, about 300 liters of sulfuric acid, and production instruments for use as evidence.(29)