Indonesian authorities arrest 285 people in drug crackdown
Indonesian authorities have arrested 285 people on suspected drug trafficking, with investigators warning women to be more vigilant when forming relationships "in the real world and in cyberspace".
Those arrested include one Australian, 29 women and seven foreigners.
Police seized more than half a tonne of various narcotics in the two-month nationwide crackdown.
The head of the National Narcotic Agency, Marthinus Hukom, said the crackdown, launched between April and June across 20 provinces, also uncovered money laundering schemes by two drug syndicates and confiscated assets worth more than 26 billion rupiah (about $2.46 million).
Thirty-six of the suspects, including 21 women, were paraded in front of reporters, along with confiscated drugs, in their orange prison uniforms and hands handcuffed.
Mr Hukom said the women arrested were mostly housewives.
One of the agency's deputies, Budi Wibowo, said authorities seized 683kg of crystal meth, marijuana, ecstasy, THC, hashish and amphetamines, adding this helped stop them falling into the hands of "more than 1.3 million people."
Mr Wibowo also said that drug syndicates have used various methods to distribute narcotics to users via land and sea transportation or mail services.
He said the seven foreign nationals were an American, two Kazakhs, two Malaysians, an Indian and an Australian.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub in part because international drug syndicates target its young population.
In a separate operation, authorities in the province of Riau Island, exposed in May two cases of drug smuggling in its waters and seized 2.7 tons of crystal methamphetamine and 1.2 tons of ketamine, Mr Hukom said Monday.
In 2023, authorities uncovered more than 52,000 of drug cases and confiscated 6.2 tons of crystal meth, 1.1 tons of marijuana and other types of synthetic narcotics, said Mochammad Hasan of the ministry of security affairs during the press conference.
Mr Hasan said the number increased in 2024 with more than 56,000 cases and confiscated 7.5 tons of crystal meth and 3.3 tons of marijuana, with a combine value worth 7.5 trillion rupiah ($710 million). Authorities have arrested a total of 27,357 drug suspects by November 2024, he said.
Early this month, three British nationals accused of smuggling nearly a kilogram of cocaine into Indonesia were charged in a court on the tourist island of Bali. They face the death penalty under the country's strict drug laws.
About 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections's data showed.
Indonesia's last executions, of an Indonesian and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016.
AP/ABC
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Young tourist plunges into massive volcano in Indonesia
Rescue teams are desperately working to save a stranded Brazilian tourist after she plunged into an active volcano in Indonesia. Juliana Marins, 26, was trekking up Mount Rinjani, the second highest volcano in Indonesia, when she reportedly slipped and fell from the hiking trail in the early hours of Saturday. The young woman, who works as a publicist and pole dancer, screamed as she plummeted off the edge overlooking the volcano's famous crater lake. She was said to have rolled 300 metres down the slope before coming to a stop in a rocky ravine. Ms Marins, from Rio de Janeiro, was spotted by passing tourists after they heard her screams for help. She was lying on the ground, alive but unable to climb back up. Shocking footage shows Ms Marins crouching on a terrifyingly steep slope as one onlooker shouts, 'We're here with you.' AKP Nikolas Osman, spokesman for the East Lombok Police told local media: 'While heading to the summit of Rinjani on the way to the Cemara Tunggal area, the victim experienced fatigue and the guide at that time advised her to rest. Then the five guests in the tour group were taken by the guide to continue the journey. 'However, by the time he returned to fetch her, the Brazilian woman was already missing.' A rescue team was dispatched to the scene after receiving an emergency call at 2:32pm local time. 'The team has descended 300 metres but we have not reached the victim. We tried to call out to her but there was no response,' said the head of the Mount Rinjani National Park Office. 'At 10am, visual information from the drone showed that the victim was no longer at the previous point.' Officials said the search was continuing, but Ms Marins remains missing as of right now. More drones have been deployed to aid in the search as dozens of rescuers descended the volcano to cover ground towards Lake Segara Anak. Speaking to local media, Ms Marins' sister Mariana has hit back at cruel rumours that she has been safely rescued. 'We received, with great concern and apprehension, information that the rescue team took food, water and warm clothing to Juliana. This is not true. The information we have is that so far they have not been able to reach her, because the rescue ropes were not long enough, in addition to the low visibility. 'All the videos that were made are lies, including the one of the rescue arriving at her. The video was forged to look like that, along with this message associated with it. 'We even celebrated. It was a shock to find out that it was a lie,' she said. The Brazilian Foreign Ministry issued a statement revealing that the Brazilian embassy in Jakarta has sent representatives to closely monitor the rescue. 'The ambassador has personally contacted the International Director of the Search and Rescue Agency and the Director of the Indonesian National Disaster Agency, and has received reports from the local authorities on the progress of the work,' they said. Ms Marins had been on a solo trip across Asia since February. Before the incident, she had previously visited Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, documenting her journey on her social media. Mount Rinjani is an active volcano located on the island of Lombok in Indonesia, standing at 3,700 metres (12,200 feet) and is the highest point in the province of West Nusa Tenggara. In 2018, the mountain was hit by a 6.4 magnitude volcano, triggering landslides that cut off escape routes. At least 16 people died and more than 330 were injured. In 2010, lava began flowing from the volcano, spilling into the lake and creating 2km high ash plumes.
ABC News
6 hours ago
- ABC News
Thailand ramps up border restrictions with Cambodia, with tourists blocked from crossing
New border restrictions are in place for travellers trying to get from Thailand to Cambodia, with tourists now blocked from making the crossing by land. Thailand's prime minister has announced the new rules as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate amid a border dispute. The two countries have announced tit-for-tat restrictions following the death of a Cambodian soldier in a contested border area late last month. While the two sides have agreed to de-escalate their dispute, they continue to implement or threaten measures that have kept tensions high. Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Monday Thailand would boost screening at land borders and block departing tourists. Ms Paetongtarn said that only students, medical patients and others who need to purchase essential goods would be allowed to enter or leave Thailand. She said the measures were aimed at blocking people heading toward Cambodia's lucrative casinos, but it appeared that all tourists would be blocked. The Thai army said in a statement that it had implemented the measures at every land border checkpoint between Thailand and Cambodia in five provinces, and that it was stopping all crossings except for people with essential needs. Cambodia, for its part, has boycotted some Thai internet services, and blocked electricity and fuel supplies from Thailand in response to the border dispute. Prior to the boycott, Cambodia imported 30 per cent of its petrol and other fuel from Thailand. Ms Paetongtarn also said Thailand would consider blocking exports that could facilitate scam operations in Cambodia and would coordinate with other countries and international agencies to crack down on cybercrime based in South-East Asia. Thailand this year implemented measures aimed at cracking down on online scam operations in neighbouring Myanmar, severing electricity, internet and gas supplies to border towns where the scams were based. Ms Paetongtarn's comments suggested Thailand would soon impose similar measures aimed at similar scam operations in Cambodia. An April UN report named Cambodia as a hub for scam operations in which workers go online to lure victims through false romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes. Ms Paetongtarn has been attacked over her perceived soft stance toward Cambodia, especially by right-wing nationalists who are longtime foes of her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. A phone call leaked last week between her and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, the former prime minister who ruled Cambodia over four decades, sparked outrage and calls for her resignation. Critics said she tried to appease Hun Sen, a longtime friend of her father, and made Thailand look weak by calling a Thai army commander in charge of the disputed border area as "an opponent". Several nationalist activist groups have planned a rally this week to demand the Thai prime minster's resignation. AP/ABC
ABC News
12 hours ago
- ABC News
Indonesian authorities arrest 285 people in drug crackdown
Indonesian authorities have arrested 285 people on suspected drug trafficking, with investigators warning women to be more vigilant when forming relationships "in the real world and in cyberspace". Those arrested include one Australian, 29 women and seven foreigners. Police seized more than half a tonne of various narcotics in the two-month nationwide crackdown. The head of the National Narcotic Agency, Marthinus Hukom, said the crackdown, launched between April and June across 20 provinces, also uncovered money laundering schemes by two drug syndicates and confiscated assets worth more than 26 billion rupiah (about $2.46 million). Thirty-six of the suspects, including 21 women, were paraded in front of reporters, along with confiscated drugs, in their orange prison uniforms and hands handcuffed. Mr Hukom said the women arrested were mostly housewives. One of the agency's deputies, Budi Wibowo, said authorities seized 683kg of crystal meth, marijuana, ecstasy, THC, hashish and amphetamines, adding this helped stop them falling into the hands of "more than 1.3 million people." Mr Wibowo also said that drug syndicates have used various methods to distribute narcotics to users via land and sea transportation or mail services. He said the seven foreign nationals were an American, two Kazakhs, two Malaysians, an Indian and an Australian. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. In a separate operation, authorities in the province of Riau Island, exposed in May two cases of drug smuggling in its waters and seized 2.7 tons of crystal methamphetamine and 1.2 tons of ketamine, Mr Hukom said Monday. In 2023, authorities uncovered more than 52,000 of drug cases and confiscated 6.2 tons of crystal meth, 1.1 tons of marijuana and other types of synthetic narcotics, said Mochammad Hasan of the ministry of security affairs during the press conference. Mr Hasan said the number increased in 2024 with more than 56,000 cases and confiscated 7.5 tons of crystal meth and 3.3 tons of marijuana, with a combine value worth 7.5 trillion rupiah ($710 million). Authorities have arrested a total of 27,357 drug suspects by November 2024, he said. Early this month, three British nationals accused of smuggling nearly a kilogram of cocaine into Indonesia were charged in a court on the tourist island of Bali. They face the death penalty under the country's strict drug laws. About 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections's data showed. Indonesia's last executions, of an Indonesian and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016. AP/ABC
