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| Police Destroy Over 20 Tons of Illegal Onions in Pelalawan After Smuggling Bust. |
Police in Pelalawan have sent a strong warning to smugglers by destroying more than 20 tons of illegal onions seized from a recent smuggling operation. The destruction took place at the landfill site in Kemang Village, Pangkalan Kuras District.
The illegal goods were disposed of by burial. Heavy equipment was used to dig a large pit, where thousands of sacks of onions were unloaded before being completely covered with soil. The process ensured the goods could no longer be reused or distributed.
The destruction was led by Pelalawan Deputy Police Chief, Commissioner Asep Rahmat. The event was also attended by the Head of the Riau Provincial Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Office, Sokhib, along with the Head of the Pelalawan Environmental Agency, Eko Novitra, and several other officials.
According to authorities, the destroyed onions included red onions, garlic, and bombay onions. All of them were smuggled into the region through both water routes and land routes. Officials say this action reflects the government’s commitment to enforcing quarantine laws and protecting local agriculture from illegal products.
Speaking to the media, Commissioner Asep Rahmat explained that the seizure was the result of a joint operation carried out by the Water and Air Police Unit of Pelalawan Police and the Teluk Meranti Police Sector.
“More than 20 tons of onions were destroyed today. This was the result of successful enforcement by our Water and Air Police Unit together with Teluk Meranti Police,” he said on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
He added that all the onions had to be destroyed because they were brought in without valid quarantine documents and entered the country through unauthorized routes. Allowing such products to circulate could harm local farmers and pose risks to food safety.
In detail, the destroyed items consisted of 20,736 kilograms of red onions, 1,976 kilograms of bombay onions, and 760 kilograms of garlic. Police confirmed they will continue tightening supervision to prevent similar smuggling cases from happening again.