Selasa 26 Jun 2018 02:00 WIB

Trade Ministry seizes 670 tons of illegal imported red onion

The three importers of red onion will face a criminal case.

Red: Reiny Dwinanda

Foto: Antara/Septianda Perdana

National Police and Ministry of Trade sealed a warehouse that stored illegal imported red onion at Letda Sujono Street, Medan, North Sumatra, Monday (June 25).

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MEDAN -- The Ministry of Trade has seized 670 tons of red onions imported from India in Medan, North Sumatra Province. It was confiscated from two warehouses.

"In addition to freeze API permits (Import Identification Numbers) and destruction of evidence, the three importers will also face a criminal case," Director General of Consumer Protection and Commerce, Department of Commerce, Very Anggrijono, stated here on Monday.

He made the statement while inspecting the secured commodities at Brengga Rowa Warehouse of Indonesia, Letda Sujono Street, Medan City, along with the Deputy Director of Special Crimes of Police Headquarters of the National Police Commander, Daniel Tahi Monang Silitonga.

The three companies had received permission to import red onions, with a tuber size of about 5 centimeters. In fact, the companies have sold the onions under the size as ordinary onions.

"The act of the importers violates the provisions of the Minister of Trade and Minister of Agriculture," he explained.

The entrepreneurs also violated the Ministry of Trade Regulation No. 16 of 2018 regarding the third amendment to the Ministry of Trade Decree No 30 of 2017 on the import of horticultural products.

They also violated the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture No. 105 of 2017 on the characteristics of onions that can be imported.

"The Ministry of Trade continues to improve the supervision in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Trade and the police in increasing the supervision and law enforcement in the field of trade," he added.

Anggrijono remarked that the government has issued permission to import red onions during January - June 2018 period, with the total of 168,541 tons, while the realization of imports is only 63,989 tons.

"If the import license is misappropriated, then the state losses will reach Rp3.3 trillion," he revealed.

Silitonga revealed the results of the investigation while the red onion was circulated in Riau Islands, East Java, and North Sumatra Provinces.

"The team will continue to monitor the red onions, because it is possible that it circulated to other areas too," he noted.

The state losses from the 670 tons of illegal onions are estimated to be at around Rp13.4 billion.