Malang Police Request Citizens to Report Food Hoarding Indicators
Malang, East Java — The Malang City Police Resort has called on all residents in the city to report any findings of suspected food hoarding ahead of Eid al-Fitr 2026.
The Head of the Food Security Task Force and Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit at Malang City Police Resort, AKP Rahmad Aji Prabowo, said in Malang, East Java on Saturday that monitoring of basic commodity availability continues to be conducted routinely and comprehensively.
“We go out into the field every week to check markets and distributors. If there are any indications of hoarding causing unjustified price increases, the public should immediately report it to us,” he said.
He stated that during the month of Ramadan, the food security task force has not yet received any public reports or field findings regarding hoarding. Nevertheless, surveillance efforts continue to be intensified.
The police are also ready to follow up on every report by conducting immediate field inspections.
Regarding the trend of food hoarding ahead of Eid al-Fitr, he said that based on field analysis, this typically begins from the early days of Ramadan. “However, we have not found any cases in Malang so far,” he said.
The Malang City Police Food Security Task Force stressed that any party proven to be engaged in hoarding food commodities will face firm and proportionate action in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
He said this measure is being taken to protect the purchasing power of citizens, particularly throughout Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr celebrations scheduled for next month.
The local police force continues to coordinate with the Malang City Government to jointly prevent food hoarding gaps.
Additionally, he noted that red chilli remains the commodity of greatest concern due to its potential for price spikes. He attributed the potential chilli price surge to high rainfall levels.
“Given these conditions, the produce spoils quickly and reduces availability, causing prices to rise,” he said.