MEDAN - The North Sumatra Regional Police Narcotics Directorate together with Customs and Excise thwarted an attempt to smuggle 10 kilograms of methamphetamine in the waters of Asahan Regency, North Sumatra, which was suspected to have come from a cross-border drug trafficking network between Malaysia and Indonesia.
During the operation, officers arrested a man with the initials E who was a fisherman. The perpetrator is suspected of acting as a courier who is tasked with carrying methamphetamine from the Indonesian-Malaysian border waters to the North Sumatra region.
Director of Narcotics Investigation of the North Sumatra Police, Kombes Pol Andy Arisandi, said the arrest was made after his party received information about the plan to smuggle narcotics through the sea route.
Following up on this information, a joint team from the North Sumatra Police and the Nibung Bay Customs Marine Patrol conducted patrols and monitoring in the Asahan waters suspected of being the entry point for the illegal goods.
"The information concerned has just taken goods from Malaysian citizens. Then our joint team headed to the location point that was informed, then we took action and searched the boat, we found 10 kilograms of methamphetamine," said Andy Arisandi, Wednesday, June 17.
During the patrol, officers suspected a fishing boat that passed through the waters of Asahan. The boat was then stopped for inspection.
In the initial search, the perpetrator admitted that he did not carry narcotics. However, officers found a large package hidden in the fishing net.
After being examined further, the package contained 10 kilograms of methamphetamine which was allegedly just taken from the Indonesian-Malaysian border waters.
Andy revealed that the perpetrator was a fisherman from Tanjung Balai City who was suspected of having been involved several times in the smuggling of narcotics from Malaysia to Indonesia.
"The person concerned is suspected of being a courier for an international network that uses the sea route as a means of entering narcotics into Indonesian territory," he said.
Based on the results of the preliminary investigation, smuggling was carried out by utilizing the activities of fishermen to deceive officers. The evidence was hidden among the marine equipment so as not to arouse suspicion while in the waters.
Currently, the perpetrator and the evidence of 10 kilograms of methamphetamine have been secured at the North Sumatra Regional Police Narcotics Investigation Directorate for further examination.
Investigators are still investigating the network involved in the case, including those suspected of playing a role as suppliers from Malaysia and recipients of goods in Indonesia.
For his actions, the perpetrator was charged with Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics with a threat of imprisonment of more than 10 years.
The North Sumatra Police confirmed that it would continue to strengthen surveillance in border waters that are often used by international narcotics networks as smuggling routes into Indonesia.
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