Indonesia Makes Record Meth Bust, Seizes Two Tonnes And Nabs Six Suspects

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, May 27 (Bernama) --  Indonesian authorities have seized two tonnes of methamphetamine in the country’s largest-ever drug bust and arrested six suspects, including four Indonesian nationals and two Thai citizens, officials said.

The narcotics were found aboard the Indonesian-flagged utility vessel MT Sea Dragon Tarawa during a joint operation by Customs, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), and the Navy, based on intelligence about the ship’s suspicious movements.

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The vessel, believed to have departed from Phuket, Thailand, and was bound for the Philippines, was intercepted on May 20 during a coordinated maritime patrol in the Malacca Strait, according to Customs.

“Authorities escorted the ship to the Tanjung Uncang Customs Dock in Batam, where a full inspection was carried out with the assistance of a K9 unit,” its spokesperson Nirwala Dwi Heryanto said in a statement on Tuesday.

The search on May 21 uncovered 67 cartons containing 2,000 packets of methamphetamine, weighing a total of 2,000 kilogrammes.

Based on the suspects’ statements, he said the drugs were likely intended for the Philippines, and that all six suspects were detained on board during the initial inspection.

The operation occurred off the coast of Karimun Anak in the Riau Islands, a known trafficking hotspot due to its proximity to major international shipping lanes.

Nirwala said the suspects could face life imprisonment or the death penalty, and that the seizure may have prevented up to eight million people from accessing the drugs.

-- BERNAMA