Indonesian police seize US$82 million of meth, shoot dead 1 suspect during raids

An Indonesian suspect was killed while 17 others were recently arrested in Aceh and Jakarta

Some of the methamphetamine had been placed inside food containers and then hidden in boats or lockers on land

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Police guard bags of seized methamphetamine during a press conference in Jakarta on April 28, 2021. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:00pm, 28 Apr 2021Updated: 9:00pm, 28 Apr 2021

Indonesian police on Wednesday said they had smashed a drug smuggling ring that moved 2.5 tons of methamphetamine into the country from Afghanistan, a haul worth about US$82 million.

One Indonesian suspect was shot dead while 17 others including a Nigerian were arrested during a series of police raids in Sumatra’s Aceh province and the capital Jakarta in recent weeks, they said.

Some of the drugs had been placed inside food containers and then hidden in boats or lockers on land.

Indonesia’s police chief, right, and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati hold up seized packs of meth during a news conference in Jakarta. Photo: AP

The haul was displayed in piles at a Jakarta press briefing on Wednesday.

Some of the suspects who were arrested are already in prison on drugs offences including a number condemned to die for trafficking under Indonesia’s tough drug laws, police said, without giving details.

The incarcerated suspects were key players in the drugs ring from behind bars, they added.

Indonesian police escort drug suspects before a news conference in Jakarta on April 28, 2021. Photo: AP

The Southeast Asian archipelago has become a key destination and transit point for international drug trafficking.