The suspect, identified as M, was apprehended at night while passing by Pasir Tengah Village of the Kutacane-Tiga Binanga road section in Dairi District, North Sumatra Police spokesperson Sen. Coms. Hadi Wahyudi remarked.
The 36-year-old suspect, a resident of Aceh Province, told police investigators that he delivered the cannabis package to Medan City and Pekanbaru City in Riau Province, he noted in a statement here Wednesday.
Owing to a tip-off from locals, the van bearing license plate number BL 1840 AO could be stopped, he remarked, adding that the cops found six sandbags of marijuana inside it.
The suspect said he was promised to get paid Rp20 million to deliver the package to the cities of Medan and Pekanbaru, he remarked.
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Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, as a significant number of its working-age population has become trapped in a vicious cycle of drug abuse.
According to a report by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), 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.
On October 25, 2022, the Medan city police thwarted an attempt to trade 42 kg of crystal methamphetamine by three drug traffickers in the capital city of North Sumatra Province.
The suspects were identified by their initials as ZU (28), SMS (36), and IS (42), Medan City Police Chief Senior Commissioner Valentino Alfa Tatareda noted in a recent statement.
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The crystal meth package was received by SMS from a drug lord in Malaysia, he remarked, adding that SMS was arrested while transporting the crystal methamphetamine on the Tebing Tinggi-Medan highway on Oct 25.
The three suspects charged under Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics remain under police custody, pending further investigation, he added.
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 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: Munawar M, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
