Indonesia intercepts record meth haul from Golden Triangle
JAKARTA: Indonesia has marked the biggest seizure of drugs in its history as authorities intercepted 2 tonnes of methamphetamine coming from the Golden Triangle, the world's most notorious drug-producing region.
The drug bust, carried out by a joint task force from the National Narcotics Agency, the Indonesian Armed Forces, Customs, and the National Police, was a five-month intelligence-based operation.
As the Sea Dragon Terawa vessel, which carried the narcotics, entered Indonesian waters last week, it was escorted to Tanjung Uncang port in Batam for a customs search and crew inspection.
During the search, authorities discovered cardboard boxes wrapped in clear plastic, each containing numerous green tea packages containing 2,000 packages of methamphetamine weighing 2,115 kg, the narcotics agency said in a press conference on Monday.
'The 2-tonne methamphetamine (bust) is the largest seizure in the history of drug eradication in Indonesia,' the narcotics agency's head, Marthinus Hukom, told reporters.
Six crew members — four Indonesians and two Thais — have been arrested by police. Under Indonesian law, they could face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.
They are believed to be part of the same group that was behind another drug haul intercepted in the waters off Riau Islands earlier this month.
The crew of the Aungtoetoe99 vessel — comprising nationals of Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand — was arrested on May 13 with 1.2 tonnes of cocaine and 768 kg of methamphetamine.
Hukom said they were offered 50,000 baht ($1,500) per trip by a syndicate operating in the Golden Triangle region.
The Golden Triangle, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand meet, has been synonymous with the global drug trade. From the 1950s to the early 2000s, it was one of the largest heroin-producing regions.
Recently, it has also become a major source of methamphetamine, especially meth pills and crystal meth, much of which is trafficked throughout Asia and beyond.
'Information from partners indicates that there is an international narcotics syndicate from the Golden Triangle region whose operations involve a network of illicit drug distribution in Indonesia,' Hukom said.
'The narcotics carried by the vessel Sea Dragon Terawa are suspected to have been intended for distribution to several countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.'
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