"This is the first case of drug trafficking in sea, at a distance of 27 miles from Peureulak, East Aceh," Director of Narcotics of Criminal Investigation Agency of National Police Brigadier General Eko Daniyanto said here on Monday.
Daniyanto revealed that the case was developed through the investigation of a recent arrest on drug trafficking in Medan, North Sumatra, in September 2017.
On Thursday (Oct 12), the joint team of National Polices Criminal Investigation Agency and Directorate General of Customs found a motor vessel, Dua Saudara, and a fishermen boat suspected of transporting illicit substance.
The officers intercepted the vessels on Ujung Laut water, Malacca Strait, Peureulak, East Aceh District.
Upon searching the vessels, the officers found two bags and a package wrapped in plastic containing white crystal.
The illicit goods weighed 30 kilograms.
Four suspects, namely ST a.k.a TI, ED a.k.a Fen, BD a.k.a Udin, and MS a.k.a Leh, were arrested on site.
The packages of crystal meth were concealed in Chinese tea wrappers and hidden inside the bags.
The suspects brought the packages from Penang, Malaysia, to Aceh using a motorized fishermen boat. Once in Aceh, the packages was to be transported by car to Medan, Daniyanto remarked.
The suspects face a minimum penalty of five years imprisonment and a maximum penalty of lifetime or death sentence for trafficking drugs.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
