The suspects were identified as Wolfram Wambrau alias Opam, 27, and Yosep Demetau alias Ocep, 25, Siregar told journalists in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Friday evening.
The agency head noted that the marijuana packages confiscated by police officers from the two suspects weighed 2.5 kilograms in total.
The drug raids were conducted as a follow up to a tip-off on a likely transaction of marijuana in the Tanah Hitam neighborhood of Abepura Sub-district, Jayapura City, Siregar remarked.
Opam was arrested on Tasangkapura Road along with 100 packs of cannabis on Thursday evening, while Ocep was apprehended along with 100 packs of marijuana at his house on early Friday, he revealed.
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Opam confessed to police investigators of having obtained the marijuana from someone living at the BTN Puskopad residence in Abepura Sub-district based on Billy Mayor, a drug convict sentenced to the Doyo Penitentiary, Siregar stated.
Opam also came clean about having planned to sell the marijuana package in Manokwari, the capital of West Papua Province. Both Opam and Ocep are currently under police custody for further investigation.
Domestic and transnational drug dealers perceive Indonesia as a potential market owing to its vast population and millions of drug users. Drug trade in the nation is valued at nearly Rp66 trillion.
People from all strata of society are falling prey to drugs in the country, regardless of their socio-economic and professional backgrounds.
The Indonesian government has taken harsh punitive action against drug kingpins found smuggling and trading drugs in the country over the past few decades.
BNN Chief Com. Gen. Heru Winarko has sought capital punishment for those involved in drug trade in the country.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has also issued shoot-at-sight orders against drug kingpins.
However, this has failed to deter drug traffickers, who continue to treat Indonesia as a main market, prompting Indonesian law enforcers to step up vigilance against them.
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Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
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