The tiny path along the border is prone to drug smuggling. We used special tactics and strategies to catch the smugglers.
Pontianak, West Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) used a special strategy to combat and thwart drug smuggling along the Indonesia-Malaysia border in West Kalimantan region.

Commander of the XII Tanjungpura Military Regional Command (Pangdam), Major General Iwan Setiawan, made the remarks at a press conference on Wednesday.

"The tiny path along the border is prone to drug smuggling. We used special tactics and strategies to catch the smugglers and thwarted (attempts to smuggle) tens of kilograms of methamphetamine," he said.

According to Setiawan, in four days, TNI personnel succeeded in foiling drug smuggling attempts at several locations on the Indonesia-Malaysia border crossing.

On October 27, 2023, in Bengkayang district, his team arrested traffickers who were trying to smuggle approximately 11.08 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

On October 28, in Sambas district, two Malaysian citizens and one Indonesian citizen were arrested for smuggling 15.75 kilograms of methamphetamine, he informed.

Then, on October 30, a Malaysian national was caught trying to smuggle 21,164 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into Indonesia via an alternate route, Setiawan said.

The Tanjungpura Regional Military Command is supervising the 977-kilometer-long Indonesia-Malaysia border in West Kalimantan region with the help of two border security task forces, who have been deployed in the east and west sectors, he informed.

Besides carrying out patrols and implementing strategies in the field, TNI is also using technology, such as unmanned aircraft or drones, to carry out surveillance in border areas, he added.

"We monitored a lot of tiny paths along the border. Due to the hard work and cooperation of our officers, together with the police and the community, we were able to uncover drug smuggling at the Indonesia-Malaysia border," he said.

Setiawan then called for support from all parties, including the community, to combat drug trafficking and smuggling along the border in West Kalimantan.

The Tanjungpura Regional Military Command has handed over the suspects and the drugs seized on the Indonesia-Malaysia border to the West Kalimantan National Narcotics Agency (BNN) office. The drugs include 21,164 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine that was confiscated in Sei Mawang, Kapuas Hulu district, West Kalimantan.


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Translator: Teofilusianto Timotius, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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