"During the raid conducted by BNN officers on Tuesday, the drug dealer identified as Kamal, alias Kamel, was detained," Head of the Aceh National Narcotics Agency Brig. Gen. Faisal Abdul Naser informed journalists here on Wednesday.
Five kilograms of crystal meth were retrieved from Kamal's sleeping room, while 12 kilograms were discovered in his carport, Naser noted.
After receiving tip-offs from the people, BNN investigators raided a house in Masjid Iyu Village, he remarked, adding that the BNN officers seized the narcotics along with a L-300 van and motorcycle.
The BNN investigators took into custody Kamal and his wife for further investigating the drug case, Naser remarked.
Drug smugglers and dealers have posed a grave threat to Indonesia since decades, as they view the country as one of their potential markets in Southeast Asia owing to its vast populace and several million drug users.
The BNN pointed out that 50 Indonesians died daily due to the consumption of illicit drugs, while the number of drug users in Indonesia totals seven million.
The drug trade in Indonesia is reportedly valued at no less than Rp66 trillion. With this bleak scenario, drug trafficking activities have emerged as a persistent threat to Indonesia's security and human resources.
This week, the Jambi police arrested a civil servant of the Riau Islands Government, identified as MRA, for allegedly smuggling 1.3 kilograms of crystal meth and 12 thousand ecstasy pills.
Head of the Riau Islands Provincial Government's Inspectorate Mirza remarked that MRA will be sacked from his post of civil servant, pending the district court's verdict.
In the fight against drug dealers, strict punishments, including imposing death penalties, are the dire need of the hour. Despite this, death penalty has failed to put off drug traffickers.
Translator: M.Haris SA, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Bambang Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
