The collaboration was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on drug prevention and law enforcement on June 24, 2025, according to BNN chief commissioner General Marthinus Hukom in Jakarta on Friday.
Similar MoUs were signed by BNN and AirNav Indonesia offices in all 34 provinces to demonstrate their shared commitment to combating narcotics.
Hukom said the collaboration is timely, given the recent rise in cases involving drug couriers boarding commercial flights with illicit packages.
“In June this year, many drug couriers arrested had used air routes to transport their packages. That’s why our partnership with AirNav is so crucial for preventive efforts,” he explained.
Earlier, the BNN-South Sulawesi Office launched investigations into four trafficking cases involving eight couriers allegedly linked to cross-border drug syndicates operating between Indonesia and Malaysia.
The eight suspects reportedly smuggled 2,204 grams of crystal methamphetamine from Malaysia into South Sulawesi between May 25 and June 14, 2025. Identified only by their initials—VH, M, AN, KT, SR, H, S, and JS—they were apprehended at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in joint operations involving Customs, police, and BNN personnel.
According to Djaka Kusmartata, head of the Southern Sulawesi Customs and Excise Office, the seized methamphetamine—confiscated between May 25–27 and June 14—is valued at over Rp2.42 billion (around US$146,500).
He added that the seizure likely prevented more than 10,000 people from falling into drug addiction.
Six of the eight suspects are women. They arrived in Makassar via AirAsia flight AK 334 and Malaysia Airlines flight MH 847 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The suspects used the “body-strapping” method to conceal the drugs, hiding packages in undergarments and footwear.
Authorities note that Indonesia’s large population and high number of drug users make the country a prime target for international narcotics trafficking.
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Translator: Agatha OV, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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