inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI) are strengthening efforts to prevent drug and cosmetic violations and eradicate international syndicates through a workshop.

BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar said that the activity is a form of global cooperation to prevent these violations by bolstering the capabilities of security officials, including investigators. This, he said, is because many pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, both legal and illegal, enter Indonesia through the country's borders.

He emphasized the need for this because, according to the WHO, one in 10 medical products circulating in developing countries is substandard or counterfeit. Thus, he said, 10 percent of Indonesia's 286 million people are at risk of getting substandard products.

The BPOM Head explained that three crimes in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics are counterfeit products, substandard products such as those containing hazardous materials or containing ingredients that do not meet the requirements, and products without distribution permits that are not allowed to be marketed.

"But we know that these products don't just impact Indonesians. They also impact the global community through export and import," said the Head of BPOM, Monday (9/22/2025).

The Head of BPOM explained that besides being the fourth most populous country in the world, Indonesia is also a member of the G20. This shows that Indonesia is strong politically, economically, and security-wise.

According to him, with a sense of mutual need between one country and another, it would encourage trade between countries, including digital trade.

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