The suspects, comprising two men and a woman, were arrested at separate locations on January 6, 2022, Head of Tanjungpinang Police's Narcotics Department Adjunct Commissioner Ronny Burungudju remarked.
Police investigators, however, could not as yet expose the suspects' identities since they are still probing the case, Burungudju noted in a statement that ANTARA quoted here, Saturday.
The local cops were able to uncover this drug trafficking case following the arrest of a woman with one ecstasy pill. She informed police investigators that she got the addictive drug from a man, he revealed.
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Her confession then led the cops to arrest that man. The police officers also seized eight packs of crystal methamphetamine and two packs of ecstasy pill from the suspect, Burungudju noted.
This second suspect admitted to have smuggled the drug packages from Malaysia into Tanjungpinang in Bintan Island, Riau Islands Province, he remarked.
The suspect also confessed to have given a part of his smuggled drug packages to a local drug dealer, Burungudju noted.
Based on his confession, a team of anti-drug squad personnel conducted a drug raid operation that resulted in the arrest of the third suspect in Tanjungpinang's protected forest area.
The cops seized one kilogram of crystal meth and three ecstasy pills from the third suspect, he remarked.
The three suspects, believed to belong to a transnational drug ring, remain under police custody, pending further investigation to uncover their drug trafficking networks, he added.
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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.
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Over the past few decades, the Indonesian government has taken harsh punitive 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 drug trade in the country.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has 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: Ogen, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
