From the suspects, identified as SR aged 52, 37-year-old M, and MJ, 45, his men confiscated 42 crystal meth packages weighing 338.8 grams, he told a press conference here, Monday.
The farmers are all residents of Pidie District, he remarked, adding that they were apprehended at different locations during a recent raid. SR hid 16.40 grams of crystal meth inside a can and a cigarette box.
The local cops arrested SR at his house in Ceurih Cot Village, Delima Sub-district, Asfali remarked, adding that M concealed 311.9 grams of crystal meth under the floor of a building in Lhok Leubu Village, Mila Sub-district.
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"M told the police investigators that he sold the drug package to feed his family," Asfali revealed.
The third suspect, MJ, possessed 10.5 grams of meth that he had packed in several small sachets. He then hid them in a handbag, Asfali stated.
The suspects are charged for violation of Articles 114 (2) and 112 (2) of Indonesia's Drug Law Number 35 of 2009 that may lead to between six and 20 years of imprisonment, he added.
Domestic and transnational drug dealers consider Indonesia to be a potential market due to its vast population and millions of drug users.
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The value of drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached nearly Rp66 trillion, with the number of drug trafficking cases continuing to surge.
A joint survey conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in 2019 pegged the number of drug users in Indonesia at over 3.4 million.
The survey conducted in 34 provinces indicated that about 180 out of every 10 thousand Indonesians in the age group of 15 to 64 years were addicted to drugs.
The users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs can belong to any community and socioeconomic and cultural background.
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Translator: R.Fajri, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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