The crystal methamphetamine was destroyed using an incinerator in the presence of officials from the West Kalimantan Customs and Excise Office and National Narcotics Agency (BNN)-West Kalimantan Office.
"The destroyed evidence included the crystal meth package the Customs and Excise authorities handed out to the police," director of the Drug Criminal Investigation Department of the West Kalimantan police, Sen.Coms.Yohanes Hernomo, said.
The suspects, identified by their initials as RA (27), CM (26), DTS (24), SR (30), and S (21), were arrested in different places, he informed.
Eighteen kilograms of the crystal meth was confiscated from S, who was apprehended at the Malaysia-Indonesia cross border check-point (PLBN) at Entikong, he added.
The law enforcement agencies' success in thwarting attempts by drug traffickers to smuggle or trade the drugs saved the lives of many Indonesians, he observed.
"From these four cases, some 161,130 Indonesians may have been saved from getting dragged into illicit drug addiction," he elaborated and urged the public to assist the police and BNN officers in combating drug crimes.
"Our war on drugs is not just the police and BNN's responsibility. Instead, it is our common duty to fight against the drug offenders because they have made so many people suffer severely," he added.
Domestic and transnational drug dealers view Indonesia as a potential market owing to its huge 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.
Over the past few decades, the Indonesian government has taken harsh action against drug barons found smuggling and trading drugs in the country.
The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has sought capital punishment for those involved in the 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 major market, prompting Indonesian law enforcers to step up vigilance against them. (INE)
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Related news: Jakarta police destroy several hundred kilos of drugs
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Evi J, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
