The destroyed drugs were seized from drug lords and drug dealers involved in six cases. They were apprehended during several drug raid operations that the anti-drug squad personnel of the police conducted from December 2019 to February 2020.
However, not all of the drug packages were destroyed at the police office yard because several others were destroyed in the Central Jakarta-based Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital's incinerator.
The drug packs, destroyed inside an incinerator truck parked at the police office yard was witnessed by Chief of the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department, Commissioner General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
Regarding these six drug cases, the police had apprehended 29 suspects. They comprised 28 Indonesian citizens and a Nigerian national, Director of Drug Crime Division at the National Police Headquarters, Brig.Gen.Krisno Halomoan Siregar, revealed.
Related news: BNN seizes 60,000 ecstasy pills, 10-kg meth smuggled from Malaysia
Related news: East Java police seize 15 kg of crystal meth smuggled from Malaysia
A total 341.6 kg of crystal meth that the police destroyed on Wednesday were confiscated from the local and trans-national drug lords, including those from the Africa-Indonesia, Malaysia-Medan-Jakarta, and Malaysia-Indonesia syndicates.
The local drug ring belongs to the Pekanbaru-Lampung-Jakarta-Bandung network, while 51 kg of marijuana belongs to the West Sumatra-Jakarta syndicate, he added.
Indonesia remains under serious threat from drug dealers, as several individuals from its working-age population have been trapped in a vicious circle.
The National Narcotics Agency's report that some 50 Indonesians die of drug use every day has not yet deterred drug users in the country from consuming these banned substances.
The users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs are from any community and from distinct socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
Among the drug users are entertainers. Over the past three years, at least 12 entertainers were apprehended for drug offences.
They are Ammar Zoni, Rio Reifan, Roro Fitria, Fachri Albar, Fariz RM, Jennifer Dunn, Steve Emmanuel, Zul Zivilia, Jefri Nichol, Tri Retno Prayudati alias Nunung Srimulat, Nanie Darham, and Lucinta Luna.
Therefore, Indonesia is perceived by both domestic and transnational drug dealers as a potential market due to its huge population and millions of drug users. The value of the drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached nearly least Rp66 trillion. Related news: Indonesian police thwart attempt to smuggle 70 kg crystal meth
Related news: Papua police seize 147 packs of crystal meth in Timika
Translator: Anita PD, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Mulyo Sunyoto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
