TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Banten Police are pursuing the intellectual actors behind a syndicate of bulk cooking oil distribution, sold in premium packaging. This is a follow-up to a warehouse bust in Serang Regency, yesterday.

Banten Police PR chief Sr. Comr. Shinto Silitonga said that the initial suspect, AR (28), the director of CV. Jongjing Pratama, was only the operator. Shinto said that there was a big investor behind AR running the illegal business.

Shinto explained that this bulk cooking oil order was completely under the control of the big boss. "Once the bulk goods arrived, it was AR's job to pack and distribute them," he told Tempo on Thursday, March 31.

AR has been distributing fake premium packaged cooking oil since November 2021 in the Banten area.

Documents confiscated by Banten Police showed that an order of 200 tons of bulk cooking oil was made to the supplier, but only two shipments were made with a total volume of 40 tons on March 14, 2022. "The 40 tons were packed using Laban brand packaging and have been distributed to the market. The remaining bulk cooking oil has been confiscated," said Shinto.

The police confiscated 5 tons of bulk cooking oil stored in the tank and 1,300 liters packaged as Laban brand.

Shinto said that the intellectual actor behind the fake premium packaged cooking oil syndicate could make a fortune of up to Rp250 million per month.

Jongjing Pratama, who distributed the fake Laban oil, does not have a distribution permit. The company also applied for an SNI certificate using the bulk cooking oil produced by other businesses. The halal logo on the packaging also does not have a halal certificate.

Read: MAKI to File Pretrial Motion against Trade Ministry over Cooking Oil Mafia

AYU CIPTA