Indonesian FDA Discovers Two Million Pieces of Illegal Cosmetics from China

Tangerang Regency — The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) has discovered 2,082,039 pieces of cosmetics, mostly imported from China, which were being distributed illegally within Indonesia.

During a press conference in Tangerang, the Head of BPOM, Taruna Ikrar, stated that the discovery of these millions of illegal cosmetic pieces carries an economic value of Rp27.6 billion. “The total findings consist of 956 items. The total quantity, including those found across various regions, amounts to 2,082,039 pieces, with an estimated economic value of 27.6 billion IDR,” he explained.

He noted that the investigation began following reports from the public received since late May. Subsequently, the intelligence and cyber teams of the BPOM Directorate conducted in-depth investigations, identifying 890 items without distribution permits, totalling 1,818,245 pieces. “The economic value of the potential loss to the public is estimated at 22.1 billion IDR,” he added.

Following these initial findings, the BPOM team expanded their investigation, leading to the identification of two individuals acting as importers and resellers. These individuals were storing products in a warehouse located in Bojing Nangka, Kelapa Dua, Tangerang Regency, Banten. At this location, authorities discovered an additional 956 items, all of which lacked distribution permits, bringing the total number of discovered pieces to 2,082,039.

“Because they used unofficial, illegal channels, they did not pay taxes or other required levies. The estimated economic loss to the state is 5.5 billion IDR,” Taruna remarked.

He revealed that investigations into the importers showed the products were brought into Indonesia via general forwarders suspected of engaging in practices that violate regulations. Furthermore, the illegal products were being widely marketed and distributed through e-commerce platforms. “These cosmetics do not possess the required distribution permits (TIE). Because these imports entered Indonesia without meeting regulatory requirements, neither their safety nor their quality can be guaranteed,” he said.

Following this discovery, Taruna stated that BPOM will initiate a recall of all products currently circulating in the community. The authority remains committed to ensuring the safety of every product. “We will determine the suspects in due course, and we can pursue the highest penalties, which include up to 12 years in prison or a fine of 5 billion IDR,” he concluded.