The Jakarta Police have uncovered a ring of alleged illegal mask manufacturers seeking to tap into the recent skyrocketing price of masks following fears of a global spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Jakarta Police raided a warehouse in Cilincing, North Jakarta, on Thursday where investigators seized 60 boxes containing 3,000 masks.
Local residents tipped off police about a building allegedly being used as a storehouse to hoard masks. The activity was the main cause of the increasing price of masks in the capital over the past two months, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said.
The police later found that the warehouse was not only being used to stockpile masks but also functioned as a mask production facility. Investigators discovered that the company, whose name was not disclosed, could produce 850 boxes of masks every day.
“The company was…
