Thursday, June 1, 2023

Police Raid Used Cloth Shops in Jakarta, Bekasi

Stevani Wijaya
March 21, 2023 | 12:50 am
SHARE
Police and customs officials conduct a raid at a used cloth warehouse in Jakarta on March 20, 2023. (Photo courtesy of the National Police)
Police and customs officials conduct a raid at a used cloth warehouse in Jakarta on March 20, 2023. (Photo courtesy of the National Police)

Jakarta. A joint team of the National Police and the Customs Directorate raided a number of shops and warehouses in Jakarta and neighboring Bekasi on Monday to seize imported used clothes in the first concrete action since President Joko Widodo ordered a crackdown on secondhand clothing imports last week.

The team conducted a search in at least nine shops at Senen Market, a popular place for thrifting, and a warehouse on nearby Jalan Kramat.

“The operation is a follow-up of President Joko Widodo’s directive to the National Police chief regarding used clothing imports,” Brig. Gen. Whisnu Hermawan, the director of the police’s special economic crime division, said in a statement.

The team seized 513 bales of used clothes from the nine shops and another 600 bales from the rented warehouse, he added.

Advertisement

In a separate raid in Bekasi, the joint team confiscated 1,000 bales of used clothes from two warehouses on Jalan Samudera Jaya. 

Used clothing imports are banned under a trade minister's regulation to protect the domestic textile industry and prevent severe health consequences that come with unhygienic goods.

But the used clothing trade remains popular, especially in big cities like Jakarta, where used cloth and footwear shops are traded openly at public markets.

Last week, the president ordered stern measures against used clothing imports that according to him did serious damage to the already struggling domestic textile industry.

Iwan Setiawan Lukminto, the chief executive officer of textile giant Sri Rejeki Isman (Sritex), said that Indonesia could end up a waste dump unless used clothing imports are banned entirely.

Used clothes coming into Indonesia are “literally rubbish of no value” but somehow manage to find their way into local shops, Iwan said.

“Other countries dump used clothes for free and yet they have a value here. This is wrong. If they arrived here to be demolished or recycled, that would be a different story,” he said.

Tags: Keywords:
SHARE

POPULAR READS


Lifestyle 6 hours ago

Jordan's Future King, Saudi Bride to Tie the Knot 

The union of Crown Prince Hussein, 28, and Rajwa Alseif, 29, may even help Jordan forge a strategic bond with oil-rich Saudi Arabia.
Business 7 hours ago

Looming Bauxite Export Ban Not Well-Thought-Out: Think Tank

Indonesia may be far from ready once the bauxite export ban enters into force, according to Indef.
Opinion 15 hours ago

How US Debt Affects the Indonesian Economy?

In Indonesia, a weaker US dollar can lead to inflation and higher import costs, as many goods are priced in US dollars. 
Business 21 hours ago

Business Newspaper Investor Daily Launches New Look

The introduction of the new look reflects the new spirit of the management to bring the paper closer to its loyal readers.
Business 22 hours ago

19 Companies Emerge as Winners at B-Universe CSR Awards

The awards recognize the success of the companies’ corporate social responsibility initiatives.
COPYRIGHT © 2023 JAKARTA GLOBE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED