Indonesia Burns Over 400 Sex Toys After Raid

A total of 442 products, mostly imported from China, were destroyed in Bandung, the capital city of West Java province on Nov. 25.

 

Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, has been carrying out sex toy raids at least as early as 2015. In October, sex toys were among thousands of goods destroyed in the autonomous region of Yogyakarta, according to Kumparan.

Dwiyono Widodo, who led the latest operation, says the COVID-19 pandemic put sex toys in high demand. His latest haul was a mix of various items, including a male masturbation sleeve, a purple dildo and what looked like a penis pump.

“Because of the pandemic, online sales are increasing. Thus, the volume of goods [coming in] has also increased,” Widodo told Detik.

Lian Kie, an adult store owner in Central Java, claims he was unaware that sex toys were illegal, according to VICE. He reportedly cited an existing “network of suppliers and distributors” for the products.

A surge in the sale of sex toys — as well as condoms and other contraceptives — has been visible in many parts of the world during the pandemic. The lack of mobility, enforced by restrictive lockdown measures, has also brought feelings of sexual frustration.

“Although I feel like the intensity of my masturbating has increased markedly from [pre-pandemic] times, I am slowly getting bored from doing it all the time. The sensation is lost on me,” a 28-year-old researcher told The Jakarta Post in April, adding that he had been considering sex toys.

Feature Image via Getty (representation only)