2 Lampung Residents Arresting 20 Kg of Methamphetamine from Malaysia Arrested by the South Sumatra Police

South Sumatra Deputy Police Chief Brigadier General Zulkarnain (two from the left) showed evidence of 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from Malaysia to reporters in Palembang, Thursday (5/1/2023)(ANTARA/M Riezko Bima Elko P)

PALEMBANG - The South Sumatra Regional Police apply scientific-based investigation methods (Scientific Crime Investigation/SCI) to uncover the international network of drug traffickers in the local area.

Deputy Chief of Regional Police of South Sumatra, Brigadier General Zulkarnain, said that the SCI method was applied to investigate two suspects smuggling 20 kilograms of methamphetamine from neighboring Malaysia.

The two suspects are Sarjono alias Jono and Budi Wibowo alias Bud who are registered as Lampung residents.

They were both caught red-handed along with evidence of 20 packages of crystal methamphetamine with a total weight of 20 kilograms by South Sumatra Police Directorate of Drug Investigation personnel while at the Amaris Hotel, Demang Lebar Daun Street, Palembang City on December 31, 2022 evening.

Zulkarnain said, the two suspects admitted to getting the methamphetamine from Malaysia from someone in Aceh.

Then, they crossed by road by car to Palembang to carry out the supplier's assignment to deliver the methamphetamine to Lampung Province.

"But of course, we can't just refer to the suspect's confession just like that because, in the Criminal Code, the role of their confession is at the bottom (the courier, ed). Therefore, it is necessary to develop it by applying Scientific Crime Investigation or SCI", he said.

Zulkarnain assessed that through the SCI method, it was not only the truth about what the role of the suspects was and to whom the illicit goods were delivered. But it can also reveal the networks where methamphetamine is circulated.

The Deputy Chief of the Regional Police of South Sumatra said he was optimistic that the SCI investigation process would produce the good results he had hoped for.

Although it is realized that the investigation process was carried out in an integrated manner by investigators from the Directorate of Narcotics Investigation of the South Sumatra Police and the National Narcotics Agency for the Province of South Sumatra and even involved the Regional Police of neighboring provinces.

From the hands of the two suspects, personnel from the South Sumatra Police's Directorate of Drug and Drug Administration confiscated as many as 20 packages of methamphetamine wrapped in yellow Guan Yin Wang tea plastic with a total weight of 20 kilograms.

Then, a large black Li-Ning badminton bag, a blue Inflix smart 5 cellphone unit, and a Simpati starter card.

Currently, the two suspects are still undergoing detention in the South Sumatra Regional Police Dirtahti detention cell for the next 20 days starting from the arrest on December 31, 2022.

The suspects were charged by investigators with Article 144 paragraph (2) Juncto Article 132 Paragraph (1) subsidiary Article 112 paragraph (2) Juncto Article 132 Paragraph (1) Law number 35 of 2009 concerning narcotics with a maximum threat of death penalty.