The Bali National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has said that investigations into one of the five drug cases it handled in October–December 2022 led it to uncover the involvement of university students in a drug syndicate. Two university students were arrested recently in connection with the case. They were identified as MS (23) and LJ (24), head of the BNN’s Bali Office, Brig. General Raden Nurhadi Yuwono, said in a statement that ANTARA received here on Thursday.
The university students were nabbed in Dauh Puri Kelod village, Denpasar Barat sub-district. They carried out drug trafficking with six other people, Yuwono informed.
He did not specify whether the six other suspects were also university students.
They were identified as SJ (21), MA (21), FN (28), RN (25), CP (25), and IA (25), he said adding, police officers seized more than 10 kg of cannabis from the eight suspects.
According to Yuwono, they received the drug consignment from Medan, North Sumatra. It was sent through a package delivery service, he said adding, BNN officials also arrested one more person, AJ (29), for possession of 200.76 grams of cocaine.
On account of its vast population and millions of drug users, Indonesia is perceived as a potential market by both domestic and transnational drug dealers.
The value of the drug trade in the country is estimated to be nearly Rp66 trillion. Despite stringent laws, cases involving drugs continue to be detected in the country.
On December 1, 2022, for instance, two drug mules were caught trying to smuggle at least 455 grams of crystal methamphetamine by hiding it in their anus on a flight from Aceh province to Java Island.
The suspects, identified by their initials as ZK, 52, and MD, 32, were nabbed by police officers at Soekarno Hatta International Airport’s Terminal 3, Banten Police spokesperson Sen. Coms. Shinto Silitonga informed.
Police officials seized 455 grams of crystal meth from ZK, a resident of Sawang sub-district of North Aceh district, and MD, a resident of Mila sub-district of Pidie district, he said.
In response to the illegal smuggling of drugs by kingpins over the past few decades, the Indonesian government has continued to apply harsh punitive action against them.
Source: Antara News