"Arrests were made in North Aceh and Tangerang," director of the Narcotics Crime Directorate of Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Mukti Juharsa, added at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.
In North Aceh, police arrested a suspect, identified by the initials AR, who acted as a transporter and warehouse guard. Investigators also put five Indonesian citizens on the wanted list in connection with the case: AN, LD, AD, ZF, and PN.
"All are land controllers, transporters, and sea controllers," Juharsa said.
The suspects' modus operandi involved smuggling crystal methamphetamine from Malaysia to Indonesia via sea using a boat. The evidence confiscated from them included 50 kilograms of crystal meth, he said.
Meanwhile, during the disclosure of the case in Tangerang, Banten, investigators seized 107 kilograms of crystal meth packed in green bags.
"The suspects in this case are TS, AS, and SR," he informed. They acted as couriers, pick-ups, and warehouse guards. Investigators are searching for two more Indonesian citizens —KR and BN— who reportedly functioned as controllers.
Their modus operandi involved smuggling narcotics from Myanmar to Indonesia by sea. The drugs were then stored in a rented house that served as a warehouse for distribution in the Banten and Jakarta areas.
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Juharsa said all the suspects have been charged under Article 114 Paragraph (2), subsidiary Article 112, Paragraph (2) of Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics.
If convicted, the heaviest punishment they may face is the death penalty, along with a maximum fine of Rp10 billion, or around US$620 thousand.