Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian government has emphasized zero tolerance for illegal food imports, warning that such practices undermine the nation’s commitment to achieving food self-sufficiency, according to Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman.“While we are actively increasing national food production, there are still individuals attempting to smuggle rice, onions, and other food commodities. This is intolerable and must be dealt with firmly,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (December 23).Sulaiman made the statement in response to the discovery of 72 tons of illegally imported onions containing quarantined plant pests (OPTK) circulating in East Java.He urged law enforcement authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and take firm action against the illegal onion imports at Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, East Java.“Following inspections, the commodity was proven to contain diseases with the potential to damage crops in Indonesia,” the minister added.Sulaiman, who is also head of the National Food Agency, explained that the illegal commodities originated from the Netherlands and entered Indonesia via Malaysia before being smuggled into the country. The illegal onion smuggling operation was uncovered on December 2, 2025.Initial information indicated a planned shipment of onions from Kalimantan to East Java by sea. The commodity was shipped from Kumai Port in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, to Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya.Sulaiman said a total of 18 containers of illegal onions were identified, consisting of 14 containers previously detected and an additional four containers—equivalent to approximately 72 tons—in the latest discovery.The onions were transported without a plant health certificate from the Quarantine Office. To deceive authorities, the perpetrators used falsified shipping documents that listed the commodity as palm kernel shells.Based on the packaging labels, the onions were stated to originate from the Netherlands and to have been imported from Malaysia.Laboratory tests conducted by the quarantine authority confirmed that the onions were contaminated with four types of pests and diseases: Aphelenchoides fragariae, Rhabditis sp., Alternaria alternata, and Drechslera tetramera.Therefore, Sulaiman called for a comprehensive investigation into the case, including the importing network, logistics operators, and all parties involved in the smuggling operation.“This cannot be compromised. All parties involved must be dealt with in accordance with applicable laws, as this endangers our crops and could have far-reaching impacts on national food security,” he stressed.