Indonesia makes record 2.6-tonne liquid meth seizure
Xinhua · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Indonesian authorities have seized 2.6 tonnes of liquid methamphetamine from a Tanzanian-flagged vessel off the Riau Islands in one of the country’s biggest drug busts. The shipment was intercepted after intelligence indicated a vessel sailing from Sarawak, Malaysia, might be carrying narcotics into Indonesian waters.
Key Points
- The operation involved the Riau Islands police, the National Narcotics Agency and customs authorities, acting on intelligence about a suspected shipment from Sarawak, Malaysia.
- Authorities intercepted the vessel late on Monday near Karimun or Bengkalis in Riau-area waters, with officials saying it was operating under a fake name.
- Investigators found 1.6 tonnes of liquid meth in eight drums, then another tonne in a water tank, bringing the total seizure to 2.6 tonnes.
- Officials also found a 40-foot container of 157 boxes of cigarettes without Indonesian excise stamps, while sniffer dogs detected more than 1.5 million illegal cigarettes onboard.
- Ten crew members, all Myanmar nationals, were arrested, and the bust followed another seizure this month of nearly 1.3 tonnes of ketamine from a Tanzanian-flagged vessel in the same region.
Why It Matters
The case points to the Riau Islands sea lanes near Singapore and Malaysia as an active trafficking corridor that regional authorities will likely watch more closely. For Hong Kong readers, it is a reminder that cross-border maritime smuggling networks can move both narcotics and untaxed goods through busy Asian shipping routes, raising enforcement pressure across nearby ports.