“Illegal” Sex Toys Confiscated and Burned in Indonesia

The sex toy industry has boomed across the globe during the pandemic as more people stay home and need something to occupy their time and attention. This includes countries where adult products are illegal to purchase or own, like in Indonesia. When Indonesian customs officials find sex toys, they confiscate them and destroy them.

Over the past several months, Indonesia has seen a big increase in sex toy seizures according to customs official Dwiyono Widodo. Once confiscated, the products are burned. Recently, in Bandung, the capital of West Java, an Indonesian province, 442 sex toys were burned after a single bust.

Indonesians who order adult products, from toys to magazines and videos, that are confiscated receive a letter from officials that tell them their shipment has been destroyed because it violated the law. But not every order is found. Some slip through and make it to their new home. And clearly, not everyone in Indonesia is aware of the law as there are adult stores located in the country, according to Lian Kie, owner of an adult store in Yogyakarta, located in Central Java.

Many of the sex toys coming into the country are imported from China, which has seen a massive boost in sales since the pandemic began.