Illegal medicine destroyed

YOGYAKARTA: Hundreds of packages of medicine and traditional herbs of various brands were confiscated and destroyed by Yogyakarta's Food and Drugs Control Office during its joint operation with the city's Health Office starting Monday.

Hundreds of packages of medicine and herbs were confiscated because many of them were not registered with the Ministry of Health.

The joint operation was conducted by seven personnel at several shops and drug stores in several parts of the city.

"In the fight against unregistered medicine, we'll continue the raids," said head of Yogyakarta city's Health Office, Choirul Anwar on Tuesday.

Shop owners found selling the unregistered medicines would first be warned as they probably did not know they were selling illegal products.

"We will take a persuasive approach first. Then, if we find out they are still selling unregistered products, we will charge them," he said. -- JP