The crystal meth was found by a fishermanBanda Aceh, Aceh (ANTARA) - Aceh police officers secured two jerrycans containing 15 kg of crystal methamphetamine found by a local fisherman in the Malacca Strait waters off Bireuen District's Samalanga Beach on April 1, 2023.
"The crystal meth was found by a fisherman, who happened to go fishing about eight miles away from Samalanga Beach on April 1," Bireuen Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Mike Hardy Wirapraja stated here, Tuesday.
The fisherman saw the two jerrycans, covered with fishing nets, floating in the sea. He then took them to his fishing boat. After arriving home, the fisherman told his friends about his discovery and opened the jerrycans together.
After finding out that the jerrycans were packed with crystal meth, they then reported the matter to the Samalanga police precinct, Wirapraja remarked.
The local cops then handed over the drug package to the Bireuen police office to be secured for investigation, he remarked while adding that the package was related to four suspects arrested in March 2023, he remarked.
The suspects, only identified as D, T, W, and P, were apprehended by a joint team of the National and Aceh Police personnel in the waters of Krueng Geukeuh, Dewantara Sub-district, North Aceh District, on March 19.
The suspected drug traffickers told police investigators that they had packed 30 bags of crystal meth inside two blue jerrycans. Following the discovery of the jerrycans, another suspect was also arrested.
"The joint team of police investigators arrested another suspect, identified as M, in the Beureuneun neighborhood area of Pidie District on April 2," he stated.
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: MHS Agus, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
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