Police Bust Illegal Mercury-Containing Cosmetics Production in Bogor, Three Arrested
JAKARTA - The Narcotics Criminal Directorate of the National Police Headquarters has uncovered the production and distribution of illegal cosmetics without distribution permits from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) in the Dramaga area, Bogor Regency, West Java.
In the raid, police secured three individuals along with several pieces of evidence allegedly used to produce dangerous cosmetics.
“The uncovering of the production and distribution of pharmaceutical preparations in the form of cosmetics suspected without BPOM distribution permits at Perumahan Casa Samala Pentas Blok K2, Ciherang, Dramaga Subdistrict, Bogor Regency, West Java, is in accordance with Law No. 17 of 2023 on Health,” said the Director of Narcotics Crimes at the National Police Headquarters, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, on Monday (13/4/2026).
In the operation, police arrested three people: Rian Herdiansyah (33), who acted as the business owner, Muhamad Reyhan (22) as an employee, and Fajar Andriyani (33) as the delivery courier.
From the search results, officers found various pieces of evidence, ranging from hundreds of ready-to-ship cosmetic packages to raw materials and simple production equipment.
Among them were day and night creams, toner, facial soap, as well as mixture ingredients like alcohol and food colouring.
“All activities (production) were carried out on the second floor of the house,” said Eko.
Preliminary examination results from the forensic laboratory indicate that several product samples contain dangerous chemical substances.
The day cream and night cream produced by the perpetrators tested positive for mercury, a hazardous substance prohibited in cosmetic products because it can endanger health.
The products sold included day cream, night cream, soap, and toner, marketed online through marketplaces.
In a day, the perpetrators could produce and sell around 90 to 100 cosmetic packages at a price of Rp 35,000 per package.
“Gross income for one month is around Rp 60 million,” said Eko.
Currently, investigators are still conducting further examinations of witnesses and suspects, as well as completing the case file.
Police will also conduct further laboratory tests on the evidence for legal proof purposes.