Indonesian police seize 35kg of crystal meth and arrest five suspects in suspected Malaysia-linked drug network

Indonesian police have seized 35kg of crystal methamphetamine and arrested five suspects in operations across Riau and West Sumatra, as investigators investigate an alleged cross-border drug-trafficking network with a coordinator believed to be based in Malaysia.

Riau Police Narcotics Investigation Director Senior Commissioner Putu Yudha Prawira said the case was uncovered after officers received intelligence about a planned large-scale drug shipment entering Indonesia through waters off Bantan, in Bengkalis regency, Riau province.

Four suspects were arrested in separate operations in Bengkalis, Kampar and Pekanbaru on 21 October. Police arrested a fifth suspect in Payakumbuh, in West Sumatra province, on 23 October.

The nationalities of the five suspects have not been disclosed.

Putu said preliminary questioning indicated that one of the suspects had received instructions from a coordinator allegedly based in Malaysia.

“Based on the interrogation, one of the suspects admitted to being directed by a coordinator based in Malaysia,” he said in Pekanbaru on 27 October, according to Indonesia’s state news agency Antara.

Police pursue another suspect

Investigators are pursuing another suspect who is alleged to have travelled to Malaysia to collect the drugs. Police have placed the individual on a wanted list.

Authorities have not disclosed further details about the suspected coordinator or the person allegedly responsible for collecting the shipment in Malaysia.

The investigation is continuing to establish the roles of those arrested and identify other people who may have been involved.

Police suspect the methamphetamine was intended for distribution in Riau, North Sumatra and South Sumatra. The three provinces are on Sumatra, where the investigation is focused on a suspected distribution network extending beyond the locations of the arrests.

Local media reports put the estimated value of the seized drugs at 62.9 billion rupiah (about US$3.8 million). The estimate has not been independently verified.

Investigation into suspected international network continues

The arrests come amid wider efforts by Indonesian authorities to disrupt drug-trafficking networks operating across provincial and international borders.

On 24 October, Antara reported that Riau Police had seized about 101.05kg of narcotics and arrested 39 suspects during a separate 15-day operation conducted from 9 to 23 October. That operation covered 29 cases and involved police units across the province.

Putu said the latest operation was part of the investigation into the suspected supply chain, with police continuing to seek people believed to have organised the shipment and its collection.

The five suspects’ identities, the precise origin of the 35kg seizure and any formal charges had not been disclosed in the information available.