The Jakarta Metropolitan Police have arrested 10 people who have been identified as manufacturing fake medical masks, following a raid in Cilincing, North Jakarta.

“The warehouse owner remains at large. The police are seeking him,” remarked Jakarta Metropolitan Police Spokesman Senior Commissioner Yusri Yunus.

The warehouse had earlier received a permit to store medical equipment, however, it was misused for manufacturing fake medical masks. The masks that were produced failed to meet Indonesia’s national standard requirements (SNI).

Police officers seized around 30,000 boxes of inadequate medical masks that were due to be sold, machinery for manufacturing masks, and raw materials that would have resulted in a daily turnover of up to Rp250million.

The police have charged the suspects with violating Law No.36/2009 on Health and Law No.7/2014 on Trade, which both carry five-year-jail sentences and fines of up to Rp50billion.

The demand for medical masks continues to rise with the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) seeming to continue unabated.

Source: Antara News

Image: Kabar24 Bisnis