The suspects have been identified as JK (68), HS (47), and S (28), the Central Sulawesi Police’s narcotics investigation director, Senior Commissioner Pribadi Sembiring, told journalists in Palu on Monday.
JK is a resident of Salumpaga, Toli-Toli district, Central Sulawesi, while HS and S hail from Berau district, East Kalimantan, he said.
The Central Sulawesi police uncovered the drug trafficking ring after an intensive three-month investigation launched in May 2025, Sembiring added.
Police launched the probe after receiving information from the public about a possible drug trafficking operation involving an interprovincial ring, he said.
Based on the tip, police officers intercepted a speedboat used by the suspects to transport the drug package in the waters off Toli-Toli district on July 24, 2025, Sembiring disclosed.
During a search of the speedboat, police personnel found 30 packs of crystal meth weighing 30 kilograms concealed in two sacks, he said.
“They (the suspects) belong to a drug ring that we have hunted down since 2021. We can finally arrest them before delivering the drug package to Toli-Toli district,” he added.
JK told the police that he picked up the drug package from HS’s house in Balikukup village, Berau district, East Kalimantan. HS obtained the drugs from an aide of G, a drug supplier, in Semporna, Malaysia.
Accompanied by S, JK and HS then took the drug package to Toli-Toli district, Central Sulawesi province, on a speedboat, Sembiring said.
The suspects have been charged with violating Articles 114 (2), 112 (2), and 132 (1) of the Indonesian Narcotics Law No. 35 of 2009, which invite life imprisonment and a fine of Rp10 billion, he informed.
Indonesia remains a key target for international drug syndicates due to its large population and increasing number of drug users.
According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the number of drug addicts in Indonesia has reached 3.3 million, while the economic impact of drug smuggling is pegged at Rp500 trillion.
Related news: Central Sulawesi police arrest four men, seize two kg crystal meth
Translator: Nur AA, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
