The suspected drug couriers were identified by their initials as SF alias Uli (29) and MS alias Paci (67), Samarinda City Police Chief Adjunct Sen.Coms.Ary Fadli said in a press statement that ANTARA quoted here Sunday.
SF and MS were nabbed when their car passed through a spot check of people and vehicles local cops conducted on the road in front of the Sungai Pinang police precinct on July 10, 2022 at 08:30 p.m., he said.
The Sungai Pinang police officers could identify the suspects thanks to information on them, given earlier by the Samarinda city police, he said.
SF and MS transported the drug package from Nunukan in North Kalimantan Province to be then traded in Samarinda, the capital of East Kalimantan Province, he said.
The suspects told the police investigators that they got the crystal meth package from Paci's son who has been declared a fugitive, Fadli said.
The police investigators suspected that the package was delivered from Malaysia, and SF and MS belong to an international drug syndicate, he added.
Related news: Indonesian police bust Malaysia-Pekanbaru-Jakarta drug ring
Domestic and transnational drug dealers view Indonesia as a potential market owing to its huge population and millions of drug users. The 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 socioeconomic and professional backgrounds.
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 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.
Related news: BNN destroys 31.4 kg of drugs smuggled from Malaysia
Related news: West Kalimantan: BNNP thwarts bid to smuggle drugs from Malaysia
Translator: R'sya R, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
