The suspects have been identified by their initials as NJ, AS, and NL, director of the Central Sulawesi Police's Narcotics Investigation Division, Sen.Coms.Dasmin Ginting, said here on Thursday.
"If the dossier can be completed in the near future, and it is declared to be P21 dossier or final documentation, the suspects and their evidence of drug crime will be handed over to the public prosecutor's office," he added.
The suspects were arrested in Tolitoli district, Central Sulawesi province, on July 4, 2023, along with another person, who has been identified as ST. However, ST has not been named a suspect based on the police investigators' assessment, he added.
As part of their cross-border drug trafficking operation, NJ picked up the crystal meth package in Malaysia through the sea route, while AS functioned as a courier who delivered the package from a vessel to land.
NL, a housewife, allegedly received the package delivery from AS, Ginting said.
ANTARA has reported earlier how Indonesia is perceived by both local and transnational drug dealers as a potential market because of its huge population and millions of drug users. The value of the drug trade in the country is estimated to be at least Rp66 trillion.
A joint survey conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) recorded over 3.4 million drug users in the country in 2019.
The survey, which was conducted in 34 provinces, indicated that about 180 out of every 10 thousand Indonesians in the 15–64 age group were addicted to drugs.
The government is well aware of the alarming threat of drug abuse and addiction.
Since his first leadership term, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has been reminding the nation of the grave impact of drug consumption.
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Translator: K.Natalia, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
