The cream-colored pills, stamped with the code "RR", were believed to have been produced in the Netherlands and smuggled into Indonesia for sale in the Jakarta metropolitan city area, he told reporters here Wednesday.
"This is an international drug network. The pills were made in the Netherlands and brought into the country," Subasri said.
The first suspect, identified as SBA or B, was arrested on Sunday, August 17, at a hotel in the Tanjung Priok area, he said, adding that the suspect planned to sell the ecstasy in northern Jakarta.
After his arrest, SBA told police he got the drugs from another man, MH or J. Investigators located MH in Medan, North Sumatra, and arrested him at a rented home with help from local authorities.
According to police, the drugs were passed to SBA by a courier working for MH in Lampung Province, then transported to Jakarta.
Each pill is worth about Rp1 million (roughly USD65), putting the street value of the 675 pills at Rp675 million (about USD43,000).
Both suspects have criminal records for previous drug offenses and are currently unemployed, he said.
Subasri confirmed that this case is not connected to an earlier bust in North Jakarta, where 10,000 ecstasy pills were seized.
"They are part of a separate network," he said.
The suspects are being charged under Indonesia's strict narcotics laws, which carry penalties of life in prison or even the death penalty.
As reported earlier, Indonesia remains a major target for drug traffickers, who see the country as a profitable market due to its large population and millions of users.
Authorities estimate the value of Indonesia’s illegal drug trade at around Rp66 trillion (approximately USD4.3 billion).
This widespread trafficking has fueled a growing drug crisis, posing serious health risks for millions of Indonesians.
A joint survey by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) estimates that 3.4 million people in the country use drugs. The study found that about 180 out of every 10,000 Indonesians aged 15 to 64 are struggling with drug addiction.
Related news: Jakarta police seize 675 ecstasy pills, arrest two in drug raids
Translator: Mario SN, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
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