Indonesia's BPOM Finds 263,000 Links Selling Illegal Cosmetics Online

Indonesia's National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) has uncovered a significant issue with illegal cosmetics being sold online, identifying approximately 263,000 digital links suspected of facilitating these sales, predominantly through e-commerce platforms.

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We've already identified 263,000 links or pages promoting [illegal cosmetics], and we are monitoring all of them.

BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar stated that the agency, in partnership with the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) and the Indonesian E-Commerce Association, is actively monitoring and working to curb the circulation of unregistered cosmetic products. "We've already identified 263,000 links or pages promoting [illegal cosmetics], and we are monitoring all of them," Taruna said on Friday.

BPOM has reported these findings to e-commerce platforms and Komdigi for action, including blocking the links. Taruna explained that the rise of digital disruption has contributed to the widespread availability of illegal cosmetics online, allowing them to be marketed freely without adhering to Indonesian regulations. Cyber patrols by BPOM revealed that over 70% of illegal cosmetics are traded online, with the remaining 30% sold offline.

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We have reported to e-commerce, because the take-down is handled by the Ministry of Communication and Digital. We have reported, and the e-commerce platforms have been informed; these are now being taken down.

To date, BPOM has blacklisted over 2,000 cosmetic items deemed dangerous or non-compliant with regulations. Recently, an additional 900-plus items were added to this list. This follows a previous operation where BPOM raided two warehouses in Tangerang, Banten, seizing over 2 million cosmetic products of 956 different types, mostly decorative items from China, believed to have been smuggled through unofficial channels.

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We estimate that the specific discoveries are predominantly online, the majority online now, above 70 percent. There are approximately 20 to 30 percent that are offline.

Two individuals suspected of involvement in the distribution network of these illegal cosmetics were apprehended. One allegedly marketed the products through online stores, while the other acted as an importer. These individuals are suspected of violating Indonesian laws concerning the trade of such goods.

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There are over 900 new items we have blacklisted. But before this, we had already blacklisted approximately 2,000 items of cosmetic products.