Police Reveal 30 Kilograms Of Methamphetamine And Thousands Of Pills Worth IDR 50 Billion From The International Network

The Makassar Police Narcotics Team has uncovered an international network of methamphetamine-type drugs weighing a total of 30.2 kilograms and 8,229 mephedrone pills or new types of drugs at the Makassar Police Headquarters, South Sulawesi.

"The disclosure in several developments was originally from the TKP (scene of the case) on Jalan Opu Daeng Risadju, which we found 5 grams of crystal methamphetamine," said South Sulawesi Police Chief Inspector General Pol Yudhiawan Wibisono during a press statement quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 29.

From the arrests at the first crime scene on October 8, 2024, the police arrested two people, namely IS, and HR. In addition to the initial evidence of 5 grams of crystal methamphetamine in a small set, the team also found 26 clear plastic sasets of methamphetamine weighing 64 grams when a search was carried out.

From the results of the interrogation of the two suspects, there were indications that there were still items stored in an empty house on Jalan Opu Daeng Risadju IV until it was found that approximately 1 kilogram of crystal methamphetamine wrapped in red plastic packaging bearing the Dragon logo was stored in the trunk of a motorcycle in the house.

The Narcotics Sat team then developed the'singing' of the perpetrators often making transactions at Green River Housing, Jalan Metro Tanjung Bunga Makassar, Barombong Village, Tamalate District Makassar by means of a patch system or storing it in certain locations.

On October 11, at the TKP of the two houses, Timsus led by the Head of Drugs at the Makassar Polrestabes Kompol Lulik Febyantara arrested two perpetrators with the initials TG and HRP with evidence of 6.219 kilograms of methamphetamine in packages with the picture of the Red Dragon and 8,299 new Mephedrone pills or drugs.

From the perpetrator's statement, the drug evidence was picked up by the suspect in one of the hotel rooms in Makassar. After receiving directions from the supplier initials Z (DPO) through the Signal application. The two suspects are tasked with distributing the narcotics by following the direction of the operator with the initials WL (DPO).

According to the operator's instructions, for each 1 kilogram they sell they get a wage of Rp. 8 million. These suspects have been in Makassar running the illicit business since May 2024.

In order to uncover the international network's drug trafficking, the two perpetrators'singed' by saying that before circulating it in Makassar, it also circulated in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi. Their position was replaced by two colleagues with the initials AN and FS. Armed with this information, the team flew to Kendari.

On October 18, 2024, at the third TKP, at the location at BTN Alam Sabila, Puuwatu District, Kendari City, Timsus again arrested two people with the initials AN and FS along with two large suitcases containing 22 packs of red Dragon and Arowana fish containing clear crystals of methamphetamine weighing 22.983 kilograms.

The two suspects are the same network as the TG and HRP suspects who were previously arrested at the Green Recover Makassar Housing and were both recruited by Z (DPO) in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. They know each other, because they previously worked as couriers on one of the delivery services.

"This network is controlled by an international network from the LP (prison) and then the modus operandi is an expedition from Surabaya, then it continues to South Sulawesi and there are six suspects from each TKP. The team further develops three TKP, the last in Kendari," said the Kapolda.

The six people have been named as suspects with the initials IS, HR, TG, HRP, AN and FS. The evidence confiscated were six packs of red packaging with a dragon logo containing methamphetamine (metamphetamine) weighing 6.219 kilograms gross.

Furthermore, 5,072 blue pills bearing the R logo (containing a meedron), 3,157 blue pills bearing the R logo (containing a mefederon), 17 packaging of red residents bearing a dragon logo containing a total of 17,881 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 2.5 silver packages bearing the arowana fish logo containing 5.103 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and one package of Chinese tea in yellow and 2 small clear satets and containing methamphetamine weighing 998 grams.

"This tax on the value of methamphedone and methamphedone is worth approximately Rp. 50 billion. This item will definitely damage the community, especially the South Sulawesi region if it is multiplied by around 160 thousand of our residents," said the former Makassar Police Chief.

For the article imposed on 114 paragraph (2) subsidiary article 112 paragraph (2) Jo article 132 of Law number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics with the threat of a minimum sentence of 6 years, or a maximum of 20 years or life imprisonment to the death penalty.