Police Expose Traffickers of Expired Imported Lamb: Stock Expired in 2024, Sold in 2026

The Criminal Investigation Directorate (Bareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police has uncovered a scheme involving the trading of expired frozen lamb imported from Australia ahead of Lebaran 2026. The frozen lamb, which had expired since April 2024, was still being marketed between February and March 2026.

Police have named four suspects: IY as the primary seller, T and AR as intermediaries, and SS as a buyer who subsequently resold the meat to market vendors.

“The suspect (IY) obtained the imported Australian lamb around 2022 by purchasing approximately 24,000 kilogrammes, or 24 tonnes, from a meat importing company,” said Kombes Setyo K Heriyatno, Head of Sub-Directorate I at Bareskrim’s Directorate of Financial and Special Crimes (Dittipidter), during a press conference in Cikupa, Tangerang, Banten, on Monday (16 March 2026).

“From that purchase, the suspect sold the meat, with 14,000 kilogrammes, or 14 tonnes remaining, which had passed its expiry date of April 2024,” he continued.

Setyo explained that between February and March 2026, IY attempted to resell the remaining expired meat. In practice, IY sold approximately 1.6 tonnes of meat to suspect SS with assistance from intermediaries T and AR.

“At a price of Rp80.6 million, at approximately Rp50,000 per kilogramme,” Setyo clarified.

Additionally, IY planned to dispatch approximately 9 tonnes of expired meat using three trucks to the Kosambi area in Tangerang for marketing to distributors at traditional markets.

T and AR subsequently resold the expired meat to suspect SS at approximately Rp80,000 per kilogramme for a quantity of around 1.47 tonnes. From their role as intermediaries, they made profits of approximately Rp40 million.

Meanwhile, suspect SS acted as a buyer who then resold the expired meat to vendors or consumers at markets. Despite knowing that the meat had passed its expiration date, SS continued to purchase it for profit.

“Although the suspect knew that the imported lamb was expired, to make a profit, he sold the meat to several people at Kebayoran Lama Market in Jakarta,” explained Setyo.

“The suspect sold approximately 100 kilogrammes of the lamb at a selling price of between Rp81,000 and Rp85,000 per kilogramme,” he added.

Setyo stated that authorities would continue investigating possible additional sales and the involvement of other parties in the expired meat distribution network.

“Investigators from the Mobile Unit (Satresmob) and the Directorate of Financial and Special Crimes of Bareskrim Polri are committed to continuing law enforcement and investigating the involvement of other parties in the crime of trading expired frozen imported meat,” Setyo affirmed.