The suspect, identified only as Brigadier AS, was detained during a narcotics operation by the Riau Police drug crimes unit last week, according to Police Spokesperson Senior Commissioner Anom Karibianto.
“Yes, Brigadier AS has been taken into custody. He is strongly suspected of being part of a drug trafficking network,” Anom told reporters in Pekanbaru on Sunday.
He stressed that the arrest reflects the force’s firm stance against drug crimes, even when committed by its own members. “There is zero tolerance for involvement in narcotics, regardless of rank,” he said.
The operation, part of the 2025 “Lancang Kuning Anti-Narcotics” campaign, led to arrests across several locations—Pekanbaru, Dumai, and Rokan Hilir—between September 10 and 12. Police seized one kilogram of meth, multiple mobile phones used for transactions, and several vehicles.
This is not the first time Brigadier AS has drawn internal attention.
In December 2022 he accused then–Rokan Hilir police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Andrianto Pramudianto of accepting a one-billion-rupiah (about USD 65,000) bribe in a drug case. The internal affairs division later cleared Andrianto and instead sanctioned AS with a 10-year demotion for ethical violations.
AS was still serving that disciplinary sentence when he was implicated in the latest case. His name surfaced after another suspect, identified as MR, revealed his involvement, Anom said. Police arrested AS at a restaurant in Pekanbaru.
“All suspects and evidence are now in custody at Riau Police Headquarters for further legal proceedings,” Anom confirmed.
Despite Indonesia’s strict drug laws—which impose long prison terms or even the death penalty—domestic and international drug networks continue to thrive.
The illegal drug trade is estimated to be worth nearly Rp66 trillion, and drug abuse cuts across all social and professional backgrounds.
In 2021, 12 police officers in Bandung, West Java, were detained on drug use charges. In June 2020, a police officer was arrested for using crystal meth at a hotel in Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara.
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Translator: Bayu AA, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
