The suspects, both from Aceh Province, were apprehended during a routine stop as their bus pulled into a roadside restaurant ahead of its crossing to Java Island.
According to Chief of the South Lampung Police Narcotics Unit, Adjunct Commissioner Widodo Prasojo, officers recovered 11 packets of methamphetamine weighing a total of 11,827 grams, concealed in the suspects’ backpacks.
“The two admitted they had been instructed to deliver the drugs to Jakarta,” Prasojo said in a statement issued from Kalianda.
Police acted on a tip from a bus crew member who had grown suspicious of the passengers’ behavior.
Officers intercepted the Medan–Jakarta bus at Afifah Restaurant in Kelawi Village, Bakauheni Subdistrict, South Lampung District, Lampung Province.
The suspects were identified as Edi Murtaza, 31, a laborer, and Hendri Azwar, 30, a farmer. Both are residents of Cot Lagasawa Village in Bireuen District, Aceh Province.
Officers found the drugs in two brown backpacks carried by the suspects, who confessed to serving as couriers transporting the meth from Aceh to Jakarta.
Authorities estimate the street value of the seized narcotics at approximately Rp11.8 billion (USD 755,000).
The suspects face charges under Articles 112(2), 114(2), and 132(1) of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics. If convicted, they could face prison sentences ranging from five to 20 years.
“We will continue to strengthen surveillance, especially at Bakauheni Port, which is frequently used by inter-provincial drug networks,” Prasojo said.
The Bakauheni route is a well-known trafficking corridor linking Sumatra to Java, where demand for narcotics remains high.
Indonesia continues to be a lucrative market for drug traffickers, driven by its large population and millions of users. The country’s drug trade is estimated to be worth Rp66 trillion (USD 4.3 billion).
A survey by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) estimates that 3.4 million Indonesians use drugs, with approximately 180 out of every 10,000 individuals aged 15 to 64 classified as addicts.
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Translator: Riadi G, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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