REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CIREBON -- An international drug syndicate involving two Indonesian prisoners had smuggled some 800 kilograms (kg) of crystal methamphetamine from Malaysia into Indonesia since 2012, an official stated.
"The network had smuggled methamphetamine and ecstasy from Malaysia into Indonesia from 2012 to 2016 through the Malaysia-Panjang Straits-Cirebon maritime route," Adjunct Senior Commissioner Dony Setiawan, chairman of the Narcotics Investigation Center team of the Crime Investigation Directorate of the Indonesian Police, said here, Wednesday.
The prisoners are Ricky Gunawan alias Ricky Bom-bom of the Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta and Anciong alias Karun of the Tanjung Gusta Penitentiary in Medan, North Sumatra Police.
Ricky Gunawan ran the operations to distribute the smuggled drugs to clients.
"He had instructed Rizki and Fajar to deliver the drugs to the clients," Setiawan revealed.
Anciong had ordered the drugs from Malaysia and at the same time had supervised the delivery of the shipment.
The police have conducted serious investigations into this case since the last two months.
"During the last two months, we did not immediately arrest the suspects, but we allowed the drugs to be unloaded and stored at a warehouse in Cirebon," the police official remarked.
On March 16, the police detained M. Rizki and Fajar Priyo Susilo for carrying 15 kg of meth and 20 thousand ecstasy pills from Cirebon to Jakarta.
During a raid conducted at the Cirebon warehouse, the police also found 25 kg of meth and 160 thousand ecstasy pills.
On March 17, the police also arrested Jusman and Khoirul for facilitating the smuggling from Malaysia to Cirebon aboard MV Bahari I, which is owned by Jusman's older brother.
In total, the police have arrested 10 suspects for their alleged involvement in the smuggling and trafficking of drugs.
Other suspects included Sugianto alias Achai of West Dumai who was in charge of transporting the drugs from Malaysia to Panjang Straits; Hendri Unan and Gunawan Aminah who paid for the transportation and operational costs; and Yanto alias Abeng, also a prisoner at the Tanjung Gusta Penitentiary in Medan, who had helped Anciong to establish contact in Malaysia to order the drugs.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan recently stated that some 70 percent of drug trafficking was managed by drug convicts from prison.
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