The alleged drug traffickers, identified only by initials T (24), TR (29), P (45), and G (41), were apprehended in Dalaka Village, Sindue Sub-district, Donggala District, Central Sulawesi Police spokesperson Commissioner Sugeng Lestari stated.
The police officers confiscated two drug packages containing two kilograms of methamphetamine from the suspects, he remarked.
One suspect attempted to deceive the police, claiming the crystal meth, found packed in two tea bags, was accidentally discovered on a beach, Lestari said.
The drug packages were then concealed by T along with his three friends, he stated, adding that the Central Sulawesi Police would continue its war on drugs and would never tolerate those involved in drug offenses.
The four men face charges under Articles 112 and 114 of Indonesia's Drug Law Number 35 of 2009, which carry potential sentences of six to 20 years in prison.
ANTARA earlier reported that drug trafficking still poses threats to Riau and North Sumatra, as well as several other provinces in Sumatra Island, as domestic and transnational drug dealers consider Indonesia to be a potential market due to its vast population and millions of drug users.
The value of the drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached nearly Rp66 trillion (around US$4.24 billion), with the number of drug trafficking cases continuing to rise.
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 10,000 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.
Related news: Riau police arrest 13 drug traffickers, seize 19 kg of methamphetamine
Related news: South Sumatra police destroy 108.9 kg meth, 134,423 ecstasy pills
Translator: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
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