Inmates Control 2.5 Tons of Crystal Meth

The National Police in cooperation with a number of agencies have foiled an attempt to smuggle 2.5 tons of crystal meth from Afghanistan. This involved an international network, including six inmates.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

2.5 tonnes of methamphetamine was shown during the release of the disclosure of drug trafficking cases by the Police Headquarters Special Task Force Team  in Jakarta, Wednesday (28/4/2021)

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The phenomenon of inmates controlling drug trafficking was again uncovered by the police, who confiscated 2.5 tons of drugs that were about to be smuggled into the country from Afghanistan. The smuggling of drugs worth around Rp 1.2 trillion by an international network was controlled by inmates in penitentiaries.

The disclosure of the drug smuggling was carried out by the National Police in cooperation with the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Finance Ministry, the Directorate General of Corrections at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, and assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"By securing 2.5 tons of these drugs, we can save 10.1 million people," said National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Wednesday (28/4/2021).

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The authorities arrested 18 suspects, consisting of 17 Indonesian citizens and 1 Nigerian national. Seven suspects acted as the control network, namely S, AAM, KNK, AW, HG, A, and M. Then, eight people acted as the transporter network, namely M, MN, FR, M (killed), B, UI, R, and AMF, while the other three people were members of customer networks, namely L, AL, and SL.

"The suspects with the initials KNK, AW, AG, H, NI, and AL are convicted in prison with sentence terms of more than 10 years and the death penalty. However, they are still controlling the international drug network,” said Listyo.

By securing 2.5 tons of these drugs, we can save 10.1 million people.

Listyo hoped that the perpetrators in prison would be treated in such a way that further attempts would not be made possible. The perpetrators can be placed in prisons with maximum security where there is no telecommunication network at all.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo (center) shows evidence of narcotics crimes during the release of the disclosure of drug trafficking cases by the Police Headquarters Special Task Force Team with 2.5 tons of methamphetamine in Jakarta, Wednesday (28/4/2021 ).

Overseas networks

Chief of the National Police\'s Criminal Investigation Department Comr. Gen. Agus Andrianto added that the disclosure of the case originated from information obtained from the police network abroad that in March 2021 there would be a ship loaded with drugs from Afghanistan to Indonesia. The load was said to be 5 tons.

The police formed two teams to hunt down the cargo. After coordinating with BNN and the Directorate General of Customs and Excise and later it was known the coordinates of the shipment in Aceh waters. The teams moved and caught the perpetrators. On April 10 the team confiscated 278 kilograms of drugs. On April 15, 1,267 kg was confiscated, and the third occurred in prisons, namely on April 22 and 23, 2021.

This was not the first time prisoners have been involved in drug smuggling. In early February, BNN in cooperation with the Maritime Security Agency and Class IIB Prison in Slawi, Tegal, Central Java, seized 436.3 kg of crystal methamphetamine in the Thousand Islands, Jakarta. This smuggling was controlled by inmates at the Class IIB Slawi Prison with the initials DA alias Alex (Kompas, 18/2/2021).

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On that occasion, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati appreciated the cooperation to thwart the attempted smuggling of 2.5 tons of drugs. As of April 2021, Sri Mulyani further said, the Directorate General of Customs and Excise together with the National Police and BNN had succeeded in uncovering 422 cases of drug smuggling.

The Director General of Corrections at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Insp. Gen. Reynhard Silitonga, said the directorate general continued to coordinate with the National Police and BNN to uncover narcotics cases, especially in prisons and state detention centers. The Director General of Corrections has thwarted drug trafficking 264 times in all prisons and detention centers throughout Indonesia early 2021 to 26 April 2021.

Throughout 2020 to 2021, the Directorate General of Corrections has also transferred 647 drug dealers to the prison with the maximum security on Nusakambangan Island, Central Java. Prison and detention center officials who try to play with drugs will also face criminal sentences in Nusakambangan.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.