Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency (BNN) thwarted a trans-national drug ring's attempt to trade 60 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine recently smuggled from Malaysia into Medan, the capital of North Sumatra Province, the agency's official said. The crystal meth, packed into 50 bags, was seized during a drug raid the BNN squad personnel conducted at a house on Pertiwi Street of Bantan Village, Medan Tembung Subdistrict, Medan city, on Dec 10, Inspector General Arman Depari revealed.
The illicit drug was smuggled from a drug kingpin in Malaysia on a wooden boat into the Indonesian waters, said Depari, currently the BNN Eradication Division's deputy, in a press statement made available to ANTARA here Wednesday.
The drugs were then transferred from the Malaysian vessel to another boat where a local drug courier transported it to the coastal city of Tanjung Balai in North Sumatra.
"From Tanjung Balai, the drug package was sent to Medan to be stored. It was packed again before being sold," Depari said, adding that a suspect only identified by his initials ZUL was arrested for allegedly storing, transporting, and selling the crystal meth.
To camouflage his crime, ZUL carried the crystal meth that he had packed in small and big bags by a "becak motor" (electric tricycle) to his buyers.
During the raid, the BNN squad personnel also seized Rp60 million believed to be the cash ZUL collected from selling the drugs to his customers, including teenagers living in rural areas.
Depari called on local authorities to prevent their people from being dragged into the drug network in North Sumatra by staying alert and joining the war against drugs, he added.
Due to the serious threats posed by these drug lords, on December 5, 2019, BNN Chief Commissioner General Heru Winarko discussed the issue with top security minister Mahfud MD, including the need to execute death row convicts.
"Capital punishment is part of the laws that should be imposed," he told journalists following his meeting with the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs.
Several death row prisoners had yet to face execution for drug-related offences. Apart from this issue, he also deliberated on several other matters, including the presence of drugs in prison.
The easiest way to deal with cases of drugs in prison was to stall communication networks inside penitentiaries to halt drug transactions, he believed.
Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, as several individuals from its working-age population have been embroiled in a vicious circle.
According to BNN's report, some 50 drug use-related deaths occur in Indonesia. However, their deaths have failed to deter other drug users in the country from consuming these banned substances. (INE)
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