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| Seized rice sacks from fraudulent distributors uncovered by West Java Police Food Task Force. |
The West Java Police Food Task Force has uncovered a large-scale fraudulent rice distribution scheme across 11 different locations, deceiving consumers and causing public harm.
Six suspects linked to four separate cases were arrested, with a combined profit nearing IDR 5 billion.
The revelation was made during a press conference on Thursday (August 7, 2025), led by West Java Police Public Relations Head Kombes Hendra Rochmawan and Director of Special Crimes Wirdhanto Hadicaksono.
One of the suspects, identified as AP, owner of CV Sri Unggul Keandra in Majalengka, sold 25 kg rice packs under the brand “Si Putih,” falsely labeled as premium quality.
“In four years of operation, AP earned IDR 468 million from selling 36 tons of substandard rice as premium,” said Kombes Hendra.
Another case occurred in PB Berkah, Cianjur, where the suspect marketed rice under the name "Slyp Pandan Wangi BR Cianjur," which did not match the rice variety stated on the packaging.
This operation generated a whopping IDR 2.97 billion in revenue from 192 tons of low-quality rice over four years.
Meanwhile, in the Bandung City Police jurisdiction, eight rice brands—including MA Premium and NJ Premium Jembar Wangi—were found not to meet premium national standards, resulting in consumer losses estimated at IDR 7 billion.
In Bogor Regency, another suspect, identified as MAN, repackaged medium-quality rice as premium and sold it under various brand names such as Slyp Super Gambar Mawar and Ramos Bandung.
Since 2021, MAN reportedly raked in IDR 1.4 billion. Authorities also confiscated thousands of rice sacks, production tools, transaction records, and lab results confirming quality manipulation.
The six suspects are now charged under Article 62 in conjunction with Article 8 paragraph (1) letters a and f of the Consumer Protection Law, carrying a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and fines up to IDR 2 billion.
Additionally, 12 non-compliant rice brands will be withdrawn from circulation with the help of related agencies.
“This case is a warning—cutting corners for profit by compromising food quality leads to serious legal consequences. We urge the public to double-check product labels and ensure they meet national standards,” said Kombes Hendra.