Makassar Police chief Arya Perdana said officers confiscated about six kilograms of meth worth an estimated 12.1 billion rupiah ($742,000) during a series of operations spanning several Indonesian provinces.
The investigation began with the arrest of suspect EP in Makassar’s Panakkukang district, where police seized 44 grams of methamphetamine, Arya said during a press briefing at Makassar Police headquarters.
Further investigation led officers to arrest a woman identified as WM at an apartment in West Jakarta, where police recovered an additional 23 grams of methamphetamine.
“This is a Jakarta-Makassar network. After EP was arrested, the investigation pointed to suppliers operating from Jakarta,” Perdana said here on Saturday.
Police later identified another suspect in Makassar accused of purchasing one kilogram of methamphetamine for distribution in the Panakkukang area, according to investigators.
Interrogations subsequently uncovered another trafficking network operating in Pekanbaru, Riau province. Makassar police then coordinated with Pekanbaru city police narcotics officers to conduct further arrests.
During the Pekanbaru operation, officers arrested three suspects and confiscated five kilograms of methamphetamine packed in green plastic bags, Arya said.
“The case developed from Makassar to Riau, where officers successfully seized five kilograms of methamphetamine along with the suspects involved,” he added.
Perdana said four of the seven suspects were repeat drug offenders who had repeatedly served prison sentences since 2018 for narcotics-related crimes.
The suspects were charged under Article 114 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 132 paragraph (1) of Indonesia’s 2009 Narcotics Law and Article 609 paragraph (2) of the country’s revised Criminal Code.
According to Perdana, the suspects face penalties ranging from a minimum six-year prison sentence to the death penalty if convicted.
Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws, including capital punishment for major narcotics trafficking offenses.
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Translator: M.Darwin F, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Arie Novarina
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