Public Order Agency officers viewing the tens of thousands of liquor bottles that were to be destroyed near Monas on Sunday. (Photo: Safir Makki, JG)

Liquor Destroyed in Display of Jakarta's Resolve to Stamp Out Illegal Trade

In a perennial show of teeth aimed at the black market alcohol trade, the city administration destroyed almost 75,000 bottles of liquor during a ceremony led by Governor Fauzi Bowo in Central Jakarta on Sunday.

Such demonstrations often accompany the Ramadan holy month in a conspicuous and politically charged display of morality against a substance declared haram , or forbidden, in Islam.

BeritaJakarta.com, the administration’s official news portal, reported that 74,713 assorted bottles of cheap alcohol were destroyed at the National Monument Park by a steamroller.

The liquor had been seized by Public Order Agency officials since the beginning of the year. Officers conducted a number of raids on traditional markets, bus and train stations and other public places.

“This is proof that the city administration and public are serious about wiping out liquor distribution that does not comply with regulations,” Fauzi was quoted as saying.

He said that he was shocked to find products containing more than 20 percent alcohol on the black market. Drinks with such high alcohol content, he warned, were dangerous to people’s mental and physical health.

Fauzi also linked alcohol to higher general crime levels and said it posed a threat to society.

“Alcohol is dangerous. If you light a fire, it can burn instantly,” he said, without elaborating.

City officials have stepped up efforts to root out illegal alcohol during Ramadan, mounting a number of major operations.

On Aug. 25, 4,000 bottles of alcohol were confiscated by the North Jakarta Public Order Agency. The East Jakarta municipality confiscated 315 bottles in a raid on Aug. 28.

Jakarta Globe

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