Bintan Naval Base Commander Colonel Eko Agus Susanto said the operation followed a tip-off about a speedboat allegedly carrying drugs through the Riau Strait early Tuesday morning.
A patrol team from the Navy's Quick Response Force (F1QR) was dispatched to intercept the vessel. Around 1 a.m. local time, the team spotted a suspicious boat trying to evade capture and discard packages into the sea.
"The team gave chase, and as they approached, the suspects attempted to flee and dispose of evidence," Eko told reporters at a press briefing.
By 1:20 a.m., officers stopped the two-engine Yamaha speedboat and searched the vessel, its two occupants, and their cargo.
They recovered 3,882 grams of crystal powder suspected to be ecstasy base, 2,000 grams of red powder, 872 grams of gray powder, and 2,636 grams of white powder believed to be cocaine — totaling 9,390 grams.
Other items seized included a packet of methamphetamine with a bong, a tablet press for ecstasy production, two power banks, a mobile phone, four cigarette packs, and engine tools.
Two men, identified only as AM and AG, were arrested. The drugs were allegedly obtained from a contact in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and were bound for Tanjungpinang.
AM told investigators he received instructions from an inmate known as FR, currently serving time in Tanjungpinang prison for a drug offense.
He claimed he was promised Rp50 million (US$3,015) for the delivery and admitted to having worked as a courier three times before. AG said this was his first involvement, recruited by AM.
All evidence has been handed to the Riau Islands' National Narcotics Agency for laboratory testing and legal proceedings.
Located near Malaysia and Singapore, the Riau Islands have long served as a strategic transit point in regional smuggling operations.
Despite Indonesia's strict drug laws, including life imprisonment and the death penalty for traffickers, the country remains a key target for international drug syndicates.
The domestic drug market is valued at around US$4.3 billion, with 3.4 million users nationwide, according to the National Narcotics Agency.
In August, a 21-year-old Ukrainian woman, Kateryna Vakarova, was arrested in Bali for allegedly smuggling nearly 2 kilograms of synthetic drugs through Ngurah Rai International Airport.
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Translator: Ogen, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
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