TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman announced that the authorities have recently arrested three individuals for allegedly smuggling and hoarding 182 tons of garlic at a warehouse in Marunda, North Jakarta.
“The permit for the three suspects has been revoked,” Amran said in Jakarta on Thursday, May 18.
Amran revealed that his Ministry is still monitoring importers’ activities. Amran warned authorities will arrest other people suspected to be illegally hoarding garlic.
“There will be others [to be arrested] if they don’t release their stock from the warehouses,” the Minister said, without providing the details of the suspected hoarders.
Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said that he will revoke permits following the raid.
“That’s it. No more imports [if you illegally hoard] again,” he said.
Earlier, the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Corps (Bareskrim) seized hundreds of tons of undocumented garlic that was allegedly smuggled from China and India from a warehouse owned by TPI on Tuesday.
Based an investigation, the garlic was imported in April by two companies with the initials of NBM and LBU.
CAESAR AKBAR | ALI HIDAYAT
