The Indonesian government has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on illegal food imports, warning they threaten the country's goal of food self-sufficiency, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said on December 23.
The statement follows the discovery of 72 tons of illegally imported onions containing quarantined plant pests (OPTK) in East Java. The onions, smuggled from the Netherlands via Malaysia, were transported without proper plant health certificates and mislabeled as palm kernel shells to evade detection. Laboratory tests confirmed contamination with four pests and diseases, including Aphelenchoides fragariae, Rhabditis sp., Alternaria alternata, and Drechslera tetramera.
Sulaiman called on law enforcement authorities to conduct a full investigation and take firm action against the illegal imports, emphasizing the risks to national crops and food security. The onions were shipped from Kumai Port in Central Kalimantan to Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, with 18 containers identified—14 previously discovered and four newly intercepted.
"This cannot be compromised. All parties involved must be dealt with according to the law," Sulaiman said, highlighting the potential long-term impacts of such smuggling on Indonesia's agriculture. He also urged authorities to investigate the entire smuggling network, including logistics operators and intermediaries, to prevent future illegal shipments.
Source: en.antaranews.com
