Police Bust 41.4 kg Meth Haul in Parepare, Transit Route Scheme Exposed

PAREPARE - The success of the Parepare Police in thwarting the smuggling of tens of kilograms of methamphetamine and hundreds of cartridges of electronic cigarettes (vapes) containing harmful substances has received appreciation from criminologist Tegar Bimantoro. According to him, the disclosure of the case is a tangible proof of the police's work in protecting the community from the threat of drug circulation.

Tegar assessed that the achievement was in line with the increasing public confidence in the National Police, which based on the latest survey by the Institute for Digital Democracy (IDM) reached 79.2 percent.

"This disclosure shows that the police are still working in a measured and consistent manner in breaking the drug trafficking network that is very detrimental to society. Success like this certainly contributes to increasing public confidence in the National Police," said Tegar.

Previously, the Parepare Police managed to thwart the smuggling of 41.4 kilograms of methamphetamine and 157 vape cartridges containing Etomidate in an operation held on Wednesday, June 10.

According to Tegar, this success is very important considering the geographical position of Parepare which is one of the strategic transit routes in the eastern Indonesian region.

"We know together that Parepare is a strategic transit area. There is a Nusantara Port that connects islands in the South Sulawesi region, even direct access to Kalimantan and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB)," he said.

Based on the characteristics of the distribution channel, Tegar suspects that the illegal goods that were successfully secured have links to a wider network.

"It is very likely that this arrest is sourced from a cross-border network that enters through the Kalimantan route, then crosses to Parepare, to be distributed throughout the Sulawesi region or re-transported to other islands," he said.

Tegar explained that drug trafficking is an extraordinary crime category (extraordinary crime) that has a high level of complexity. Therefore, efforts to eradicate it require ongoing work and an ever-evolving strategy.

According to him, the drug network always adapts by creating various new modes to avoid the supervision of the authorities. On the other hand, the large economic benefits offered by the illegal business are also a factor that makes drug crime continue to grow.

"The perpetrators are always looking for new ways to deceive officers. In addition, the huge profits make this business still attractive for some people who have economic limitations," he said.

To prevent similar smuggling in the future, Tegar encourages the strengthening of security systems in coastal areas and strategic transportation routes.

He emphasized the importance of strengthening the intelligence function and cross-agency collaboration in monitoring activities that could potentially be related to drug trafficking.

"The strategy that must be pursued is to strengthen the coastal area through strengthening the intelligence aspect. The police must collaborate closely with Immigration, Customs, TNI, related stakeholders, and involve civilians to jointly monitor any suspicious activities," he said.

At the end of his statement, Tegar expressed his appreciation to the Parepare Police and all teams involved in the operation. According to him, the success in thwarting the smuggling of large quantities of drugs is proof of the commitment of the National Police in maintaining public security and protecting the younger generation from the threat of narcotics.

"This is a commendable work because it has succeeded in preventing drugs from circulating more widely in society. Success like this shows the commitment of the National Police in eradicating narcotics crimes and protecting the community," he concluded.