People do astounding things for money, even if there’s a huge chance it could lend them in jail.
In Indonesia, a farmer was arrested when he was suspected of coating yellow chilli padi in red paint, as red chilli padi would fetch a higher price.
He was arrested by the police and the case is still under investigation.
Authorities added that this was their first time encountering chillis being painted red at traditional markets in town.
According to BERITAmediacorp, police arrested a 35-year-old farmer in Central Java – about 457km east of Jakarta – after he was suspected of painting chilli padi red.
The painted chillis were detected at 3 markets at Banyumas — a small, historical town in Central Java.
Police then raided the farmer’s residence and found cans of red paint lying around.
The farmer, who has been planting chillis since 2010, confessed that it was his first time committing such an act, as there was a stark price difference between red and yellow chilli padi.
The case is still under investigation. Police are still locating more witnesses and other suspects who may be involved as well.
Officers from Indonesia’s National Agency of Drug and Food Control said they were alerted to the discovery of painted chilli padi at several Banyumas markets, reports BERITAmediacorp.
According to authorities, people suspected it wasn’t food colouring, as colouring substances wouldn’t have a sticky texture.
Moreover, the red colouring did not dissolve easily in water and alcohol.
Police and food control officers ran a lab test and confirmed that the red colouring was in fact, paint.
Authorities believe that the farmer may have been motivated by red chilli padi prices, which had gone up drastically of late.
The national food control agency revealed that red chilli padi used to cost S$4 (44,000 rupiah) per kg.
It then rose to S$5 (54,000 rupiah) per kg, and more recently, S$5.60 (60,000 rupiah) per kg.
On the other hand, yellow chilli padi cost only S$1.80 per kg.
It’s unfortunate that a young farmer felt driven to commit an act of fraudulence for the sake of earning higher profits.
Red paint, if consumed, would have damaging effects to the body. At the end of the day, customers deserve honesty and straightforwardness from traders.
We hope that the farmer, if found guilty, would learn his lesson.
He can always plant more red chilli instead. After all, you reap what you sow.
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Featured image adapted from Shopee and Open Taste.
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