Riau Islands Police Unload Minilab Places Of 'Laundry' Sabu In Batam

The Riau Islands Police released the disclosure of a drug case of minilab 'laundry' methamphetamine in Batam City, Riau Islands, Tuesday (16/9/2025). ANTARA/Laily Rahmawaty

The Directorate of Drug Investigation of the Riau Islands Regional Police revealed the existence of a minilab of drugs where laundry or methamphetamine is not good quality, so it has just returned to a hidden place in the Tanjungiayu area, Batam City.

"We have just revealed that in the Batam area there was a minilab, the crime scene was in two locations, namely one in a room in the Baloi Permai area and the second in Tanjung Piayu. We secured 5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and two suspects," said the Head of the Riau Islands Police, Inspector General Asep Safrudin, as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 16.

The police chief said that the perpetrators deliberately chose isolated locations far from the reach of the community to produce methamphetamine from poor quality mixed with chemicals so that it became new again.

The perpetrators with the initials VO and PST, both played a role in washing methamphetamine whose entire production was financed by the suspect with the initials AR from Pekanbaru, Riau.

"Seeing the last case there is a minilab, where the place is quite isolated, deep in the garden behind the bushes," he said.

The Director of Narcotics at the Riau Islands Police, Kombes Anggoro Wicaksono, added that the disclosure of this case began with public information on Sunday (14/9), regarding the circulation of crystalline-type narcotics suspected of being methamphetamine around Madani Village, Mekakuning Village, Batam City.

From this information, an investigation was carried out by the ranks of the Narcotics Directorate of the Riau Islands Police on Monday (15/9) at the Baloi Permai boarding house, then forced efforts were made against two suspects with the initials VO and PST.

"During the search, it was found that 3.9 grams of methamphetamine was recognized by the owner by PST," said Anggoro.

From the results of the arrest, the development was carried out to a shrimp pond location in Tanjungpayu. Searched one house, a place for making methamphetamine was found.

At that location, officers found 5.550.05 grams (5.5 kilograms) of methamphetamine ready for distribution and 556.3 grams of pink ecstasy.

Based on the results of the interrogation of VO, the methamphetamine was made by mixing methamphetamine which was deemed not good with chemicals obtained from someone with the initials AR.

"This is another suspect that we have entered the wanted list (DPO). He is from Pekanbaru," said Anggoro.

According to VO's confession, he and his colleague PTS were offered a job by AR to recycle methamphetamine whose quality was bad to become new again.

This way they call it laundry. They were promised Rp. 20 million to pay 5.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

VO and PTS were introduced by suspect Eko as guides on how to wash outdated methamphetamine into new ones. Communication between Eko and the suspect VO and PTS was carried out using video calls.

This practice has been running for three months. The quality of methamphetamine, such as odor, color is not white, washed using chemical liquid until it is white again, then dried using a heating light.

The quality of the laundry methamphetamine is not yet known, it is better than before or not. Currently, investigators are still examining evidence of methamphetamine in a forensic laboratory, including the chemical liquid used by the perpetrators to dissolve the outdated methamphetamine.

However, the results of the examination of the perpetrator and a user of this washing methamphetamine, the effect that was produced after consuming it, made the head dizzy.

Anggoro added that currently the location of the minilablaundry of methamphetamine has been installed with a police line. The police are still hunting for the other perpetrators, namely the initials Eko and M as the owner of the land that is used as a minilab place.