LC Beauty Cosmetic Factory in Cirebon Raided for Mercury Contamination; Suspect Two Months Pregnant
LC Beauty Cosmetic Factory in Cirebon Raided for Mercury Contamination; Suspect Two Months Pregnant
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Jakarta, VIVA - The case of illegal cosmetics named LC Beauty that contain mercury and hydroquinone was uncovered by the Directorate of Narcotics Crime (Dittipidnarkoba) of Bareskrim Polri.
The unraveling of the case began from laboratory tests on LC Beauty day cream, night cream, and toner. The results showed all three products tested positive for the hazardous substances mercury and hydroquinone.
From the investigation, the team secured witnesses MI and BBT. Based on interrogation, both were resellers and obtained LC Beauty products from someone named RA.
Witness RA stated that he received the cosmetics from the suspect initials ML who is based in Cirebon, West Java.
“Upon arriving in Cirebon, the team conducted an investigation into the location of the illegal cosmetics production, and found that the site was located in Harjamukti, Cirebon, West Java,” said Brig. Gen. Eko Hadi Santoso, Director of Narcotics Crime (Dirtipidnarkoba) at Bareskrim Polri, on Wednesday, 4 March 2026.
Eko continued that on 27 February 2026, the team raided the dangerous cosmetics production site. From there, investigators found raw materials, finished products, packaging boxes and pots, production and mixing equipment, packaging labels, and packaging supplies.
“After a brief interrogation of the suspect ML, he admitted and confirmed that he produced and distributed LC Beauty cosmetics that did not have a distribution licence from BPOM (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan) and contained hazardous substances mercury and hydroquinone,” he said.
To investigators, ML stated that he had been producing the illegal cosmetics from 2016 to 2019. However, production halted and resumed since 2022 up to the present.
“The mercury and hydroquinone used in the cosmetics were obtained through individual purchases via one of ML’s workers, and the worker explained that the materials came from a market located in the Jakarta area,” Eko added.
A number of seized items include boxes containing 360 bottles of LC Beauty toner already mixed with hydroquinone, boxes containing 984 pots of LC Beauty day cream already mixed with mercury, and boxes containing 1,008 pots of LC Beauty night cream already mixed with mercury.