The army personnel were only identified by their initials as First Sergeant YT (42) and First Private RH (25), National Police Narcotics Director Brig. Gen. Krisno H. Siregar noted in a statement here, Thursday.
The suspects were arrested along with 75 kg of crystal methamphetamine and some 40 thousand ecstasy pills that they had concealed in their during a drug raid that the police had conducted in the end of October, he stated.
Two civilians, identified as YSD and S, were arrested in Medan City before receiving the drug packages from YT and RH, he noted.
According to Siregar, the drug mules could be arrested owing to a tip-off leading to the drug smuggling operation that the National Police's Narcotics Division had received.
YT and RH have been handed over to the North Sumatra military police investigators, while YSD and S are under police custody, he added.
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Indonesia is viewed 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.
On October 25, 2022, the Medan city police thwarted an attempt to trade 42 kg of crystal meth by three drug traffickers in the capital city of North Sumatra Province and arrested the trio.
The suspects were identified by their initials as ZU (28), SMS (36), and IS (42).
The crystal meth package was received by SMS from a drug lord in Malaysia. The police arrested SMS while transporting the crystal methamphetamine on the Tebing Tinggi-Medan highway on Oct 25, 2022.
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Meanwhile, on December 1, 2022, two drug mules' attempt to transport some 455 grams of crystal methamphetamine that they had stashed in their anus during a flight from Aceh Province to Java Island could be foiled.
The suspects, only identified by their initials as ZK (52) and MD (32), were arrested by police officers at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport's Terminal 3, Banten Police spokesperson Sen. Coms. Shinto Silitonga stated.
The cops seized 455 grams of crystal meth from ZK, a resident of Sawang Sub-district in North Aceh District, and MD, a resident of Mila Sub-district in Pidie District, he remarked.
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
