"I have warned distributors not to hoard food or do anything that could harm people," he said here on Thursday.
The Jakarta Police has worked in cooperation with the Jakarta administration, State Logistic Agency (Bulog), Trade Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, and Agriculture Ministry in a campaign to stabilize food prices.
Iriawan stated that the campaign was aimed to ensure food adequacy and price stability during the fasting month of Ramadan and ahead of Idul Fitri.
The campaign is established based on President Joko Widodos order to keep food price at its affordable level, he added.
"We have the forces and network. Hence, people should not be worry about food adequacy," he revealed.
Iriawan disclosed that the Jakarta Police had taken legal measures against food cartel, including garlic traders to reduce garlic price to a range of between Rp38,000 and Rp40,000 per kilogram, after it increased to Rp50 thousand per kilogram during the past few weeks.
The police would not bar traders from taking benefits as long as the price was still within the markets standard, but hoarding food stock to increase its price is a crime, he warned.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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