The crystal meth, packed in plastic bags, had been concealed in 423 sandbags filled with corn seed, Director of Drug Crime at the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department Brig. Gen. Krisno H. Siregar confirmed.
"The crystal meth packages were originally smuggled from Myanmar, but they were transported in a container from Malaysia to the Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta through Pangkalpinang in Bangka Belitung District and Batam Island, Riau Islands Province," he stated.
A coordinated drug raid operation led to the 200-kilogram crystal meth haul and the arrests of four suspects, only identified by their initials as SC, R alias S, A, and Y alias D, he remarked.
Related news: Joint team confiscates 33-kg meth smuggled from Malaysia, arrests four
Related news: International drug dealers caught smuggling drugs on fishing boat
The successful raid involved police officers from Bangka Belitung, Jakarta, and Bekasi District in West Java, he noted, adding that this drug smuggling attempt could be stopped owing to a report from a freight logistics company to the Bangka Belitung Police on July 21.
The inter-island cargo logistics company's workers grew suspicious of the 73 corn seed-contained sandbags they had received after finding crystal meth packages placed at the bottom of the sandbags covered with corn seed at their warehouse, he pointed out.
"We received information that the sandbags are sent by Suhaib, alias Rino, in Batam City," he stated.
The inter-island cargo containing 423 sandbags filled with corn seed had been sent to several warehouses, including the ones in East Jakarta and North Jakarta.
Siregar remarked that the four arrested suspects had their respective roles to play in this drug trafficking operation. SC admitted that she had prepared several warehouses in Jakarta, while R handled the cargo shipment from Batam to Jakarta.
The police investigators continue to chase another suspect, identified as K, since SC confessed to having received orders from K to prepare the warehouses for storing the drug packages.
The lives of at least one million people in Indonesia could be saved following the haul of these drug packages, he stated, adding that the police charged the suspects under Indonesia's drug law under which they are subject to death penalty and life imprisonment, and a fine of Rp10 billion.
Related news: West Kalimantan inmate linked to cross-border drug smuggling attempt
Related news: Denpasar Penitentiary warden arrested over attempted meth smuggling
Translator: Pradita KS, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
