This is one of the largest drug seizure operations in the country.
The head of the National Narcotics Control Agency, Suyudi Ario Seto (Sujudis Arijo Seto), stated that the agency received intelligence in February that the ship “MV King Sun” was sailing east from Thailand towards Indonesia with suspicious cargo. This prompted several months of surveillance.
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According to the official, on Thursday a navy ship intercepted the mentioned vessel as it entered Indonesian territorial waters.
“On August 7, a joint team found 65 hidden bags on the ship. After inspection, it was revealed that they contained ketamine,” S. A. Seto said at a press conference on Sunday on Batam Island, Indonesia.
He stated that the approximately 1.3-ton cargo is valued at about 2.07 trillion rupiah (about 97 million euros). Officials are still inspecting the ship to determine if there are more narcotics on board.
Ketamine is primarily used as a fast-acting anesthetic but is widely abused as an illegal drug. Its distribution in Indonesia is strictly controlled and monitored.
The state news agency “Antara” reported that the ship was sailing under the Tanzanian flag and was seized in the waters of Riau Islands province near Singapore.
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According to the Narcotics Control Agency, the ship’s crew members – seven Myanmar citizens and one Taiwan resident – were detained.
“We are still investigating the origin of the cargo, the destination port, who the sender was, and who the recipient is,” said S. A. Seto.
Last month, Indonesian officials seized 3.37 tons of cannabis buds, preventing a smuggling attempt from Thailand, and detained 12 suspects.
In 2021, Indonesian police dismantled a smuggling network that brought 2.5 tons of methamphetamine into the country from Afghanistan; 17 suspects were detained then.
Indonesia enforces some of the strictest drug laws in the world, including the death penalty for traffickers, but has had a moratorium on executions for several years.
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