Indonesia seizes two million illegal imported cosmetic products

Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has uncovered 2,082,039 units of illegally distributed cosmetics, mostly imported from China, with an estimated economic value of 27.6 billion rupiah (US$1.7 million).

BPOM Chief Taruna Ikrar told a press conference in Tangerang, Banten Province, on Friday that the seized cosmetics represented a significant volume of unregistered products circulating in the domestic market.

“In total, we found 956 product items. The combined quantity reached 2,082,039 units, with an estimated economic value of 27.6 billion rupiah,” Taruna said.

He said the investigation began after public complaints received in late May 2026. BPOM's intelligence and cyber teams identified 890 unregistered cosmetic products totaling 1,818,245 units.

The estimated material losses potentially borne by consumers from those products reached 22.1 billion rupiah, he said.

Based on the initial findings, BPOM expanded its probe and identified two individuals acting as an importer and a reseller. The products were stored in a warehouse in Kelapa Dua District, Tangerang, Banten Province.

At the warehouse, investigators discovered 956 cosmetic product items, all lacking distribution permits. The operation increased the total number of seized products to 2,082,039 units.

“These products entered through unofficial and illegal channels. That means taxes and other obligations were not paid, creating estimated state losses of 5.5 billion rupiah,” Taruna said.

He said preliminary questioning of the importer indicated the products entered Indonesia through a general forwarding service suspected of operating outside regulatory requirements.

The cosmetics were marketed and distributed widely through electronic commerce platforms, allowing the products to reach consumers without undergoing mandatory regulatory scrutiny.

“The imported cosmetics did not have distribution permit notifications and entered Indonesia without meeting regulatory requirements. Therefore, their safety and quality cannot be guaranteed,” Taruna said.

BPOM will order the withdrawal of all affected products already circulating in the market and will continue monitoring efforts to ensure consumer protection and product safety.

“We will determine who should be named as suspects. The maximum penalty under applicable law is 12 years in prison or a fine of up to 5 billion rupiah,” Taruna said.

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Translator: Azmi SM, Rahmad Nasution

Editor: M Razi Rahman

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