The seized drugs were burned and blended with dishwashing liquid in the agency's yard here on Thursday.
According to BNN-South Sumatra Office head, Brig.Gen.Djoko Prihadi, his men confiscated the drugs from six suspects who were arrested between January and March 2022.
At least 3.5 kg of the crystal meth was seized from two drug couriers who were apprehended by BNN officers at the Keramasan Pemulutan toll gate in Ogan Ilir district on February 22, he said.
In March, the agency's officers arrested two more drug couriers in the Kenten neighborhood of Palembang city and seized around 7.1 kg of crystal meth from them, he added.
During a drug raid in February, the BNN officers discovered about one thousand cannabis plants on Mandi Angin hill in Pendopo Barat sub-district, Empat Lawang district, South Sumatra province.
The cannabis plants were being cultivated in a one-hectare area inside a coffee plantation by several suspects who were arrested, he said.
"Along with our colleagues from other law enforcement agencies, we continue to crack down on drug offenders to save millions of teenagers in South Sumatra from getting trapped into drug addiction," he added.
Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, as several individuals from its working-age population have become trapped in a vicious cycle of drug abuse.
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According to a report by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) report, at least 50 Indonesians die of drug use daily in the country. However, this statistic has failed to deter drug use in the country.
The users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs come from different communities and socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
In February 2021, for instance, West Java Police's Internal Affairs Division (Propam) arrested 12 police officers for allegedly consuming narcotics.
Indonesia is perceived by both domestic and transnational drug dealers as a potential market due to its vast population and millions of drug users. The value of the drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached nearly Rp66 trillion.
In response to the smuggling of illicit drugs by drug kingpins over the past few decades, the Indonesian government has continued to apply harsh punitive action against them.
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Translator: MRB Elko, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
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