The arrest was made possible through close interagency cooperation and diplomatic coordination, leading Cambodian authorities to detain Astutik at a hotel in Sihanoukville, in the country’s west.
“Dewi was recruited by Asian and African drug syndicates and is also wanted by South Korea,” BNN chief Comr. Gen. Suyudi Ario Seto said in a confirmed statement Wednesday.
He added that the operation targeted one of the main actors behind the attempted smuggling of two tons of methamphetamine worth Rp5 trillion.
Suyudi said the arrest, carried out jointly with Cambodian police, proceeded without resistance. After her capture, Astutik was transferred to Phnom Penh for identity verification ahead of repatriation to Indonesia.
“The suspect was detained in a white Toyota Prius shortly after leaving a hotel in Sihanoukville. She was apprehended while accompanied by a man,” he said.
Astutik, also known as “Mami,” is considered the mastermind behind the two-ton Golden Triangle meth shipment foiled in May 2025, as well as several major cases in 2024 linked to Golden Crescent networks.
BNN said she coordinated the collection and distribution of cocaine, methamphetamine and ketamine to East Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa.
Soekarno-Hatta Customs chief Gatot Sugeng Wibowo said the initial case that helped uncover Astutik’s network involved 2.3 kilograms of cocaine and heroin linked to her shipments.
“Soekarno-Hatta Customs also had a role in the arrest. We previously intercepted 2.3 kilograms of cocaine and heroin sent by the suspect,” Gatot said.
He praised BNN for capturing a major international trafficker.
“We will continue strengthening collaboration so that narcotics smuggling at Soekarno-Hatta Airport can be tackled effectively. We fully support our cooperation with BNN,” Gatot said.
Indonesia enforces some of the world’s toughest drug laws, with major traffickers facing life imprisonment or the death penalty.
On Sept. 4, 2025, the Medan District Court in North Sumatra, for instance, sentenced M. Alfarisi, 36, to death for acting as a courier in the trafficking of nearly 4,833 ecstasy pills.
Despite these strict penalties, the country remains a lucrative market for drug syndicates, driven by its large population and millions of users. The nation’s drug trade is valued at an estimated 66 trillion rupiah (US$4.3 billion), according to BNN.
A BNN survey estimates that 3.4 million Indonesians use drugs—roughly 180 out of every 10,000 people aged 15 to 64.
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Translator: Azmi SM,Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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