inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Indonesian National Police (INP)'s Drugs Criminal Investigation Directorate raided an illegal beauty cosmetics production house using hazardous raw materials in Harjamukti, Cirebon City, West Java. This production house was producing illegal cosmetics under the LC Beauty brand, which contained the hazardous ingredients mercury and hydroquinone.
"We are investigating the illegal cosmetics home industry, which contains the hazardous ingredients of mercury and hydroquinone," explained Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, Director of Drugs Investigation Crime at INP, on Wednesday (3/4/2026).
He said that investigators also arrested a woman with the initials ML (35) during the raid, which took place on February 27, 2026, and has been named a suspect.
"ML's role is that of the distributor and owner of the illegal cosmetics home industry under the LC Beauty brand," he said.
Eko explained that the LC Beauty product case was uncovered after police traced the distributor to ML, the main manufacturer. The suspect, ML, was questioned and admitted that her products did not have a distribution permit from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM).
"She admitted and confirmed that she produced and distributed LC Beauty brand cosmetics that did not have a distribution permit from the BPOM and contained the hazardous substances mercury and hydroquinone," Eko explained.
ML had been running this business since 2016, stopped in 2019, and resumed in 2022. All the mixed materials, such as mercury and hydroquinone, were sourced from Jakarta.
"And the suspect's employee explained that the mercury and hydroquinone were obtained from a market in Jakarta," Eko explained.
Suspect ML was charged under Article 435 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health in conjunction with Appendix I Number 181 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1 of 2026 concerning Criminal Adjustments, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 12 years or a maximum fine of Rp2,000,000,000, category VI.
However, investigators decided not to detain the woman, citing her 9-week (2-month) pregnancy and her health condition.
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