Officials providing information on attempts to smuggle cocaine and crystal methamphetamine via the sea route, which were foiled by the Indonesian Navy, at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday (September 19, 2024). - Image from ANTARA/Genta Tenri
JAKARTA (Bernama-ANTARA): The Indonesian Navy, in collaboration with several law enforcement agencies, foiled attempts to smuggle cocaine and crystal methamphetamine into Indonesia via the nation's outermost waters this month, reported ANTARA news agency,
At a press conference on Thursday, Commander of the Navy Fleet Command, Vice Admiral Denih Hendrata, informed that several kilogrammes of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine were seized from Berhala Island, North Sumatra, and the waters of Sebatik Island, North Kalimantan.
"We found 84.75 kilogrammes of cocaine in 74 packages. Each package contained 1.05 kilogrammes to 1.5 kilogrammes (of the drug)," he said.
On the same occasion, Commander of the Navy Fleet Command, Rear Admiral Yoos Suryono Hadi, said that the method used to smuggle the cocaine was similar to the patch system used to distribute narcotics on land.
To move drugs by sea, couriers carry cocaine via the sea route and drop off packages in the waters. Later, they provide the coordinates of the packages to recipients.
Such an attempt was thwarted in the waters near the Malacca Strait by Indonesian Navy patrol ship KAL Pandang I-1-72 on Sept 16, 2024.
Meanwhile, in the waters around Sebatik Island, Indonesian Navy soldiers managed to arrest a courier and confiscate a package containing crystal methamphetamine that was intended to be transported via the sea route.
The waters around Sebatik Island are Indonesia's outermost waters bordering Malaysia.
At the press conference, Commander of the Navy Fleet Command, Rear Admiral Ariantyo Condrowibowo, informed that 1.65 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine were seized from the courier, identified with the initials T.
Condrowibowo said T was arrested based on intelligence data gathered by the border security task force, which consists of several agencies.
It is hoped that cooperation between law enforcers in breaking the chain of drug distribution, especially in border and outermost areas, can continue to be improved, he added.
"There are many back roads and rivers in Sebatik. We need valid intelligence data for us to carry out the arrest," he said. - Bernama-ANTARA
