Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA) - Citing the arrest of two Malaysian drug couriers in crackdowns in June and July this year, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has said that Malaysian drug trafficking networks remain a threat in Riau Islands.The two Malaysian drug couriers were among 15 suspects nabbed between June 18 and July 9, 2025.
BNN officers in Riau Islands seized 8.2 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from the two Malaysians and another member of their cross-border drug trafficking syndicate, the agency said.
Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, acting head of the BNN-Riau Islands Office’s law enforcement and intelligence unit, Sen. Coms Nestor Simanihuruk, said that the two Malaysian drug couriers were identified as ZK, 51, and MK, 44.
They were apprehended while attempting to smuggle 3.4 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into Riau Islands, he informed, adding that following their arrest, another member of their Malaysian drug syndicate was also nabbed.
The suspect, identified by the initials DH, 44, was arrested during a raid on July 9, 2025, while picking up a package of meth weighing 5 kilograms from a vessel stopping in the Indonesia-Malaysia border waters, he said.
Baca juga: 561kg drugs seized, 136 arrested in June-July raids: BNN
In addition to the meth package, during the June 18–July 9 period, the BNN-Riau Islands Office also confiscated 5.6 grams of dried marijuana, 2,990 ecstasy pills, and 119.90 grams of ecstasy powder, he said.
The confiscated drugs were destroyed at the BNN-Riau Islands Office in Batam on Tuesday, Simanihuruk said.
As reported earlier, international drug trafficking networks have continued to pose a serious threat to Indonesia.
On June 30, 2025, the North Sumatra police’s anti-drug squad seized 190 kilograms of sabu-sabu (crystal methamphetamine) loaded onto a wooden boat in the middle of the sea off Tanjung Balai, Asahan district.
Baca juga: Kepala BNN melarang anggota tangkap pengguna narkoba
To address the threat, the North Sumatra police, for instance, have stepped up communication with the Malaysian police to investigate and prevent the entry of illegal drugs into the province by international drug trafficking networks.
Indonesia remains a key target for international drug syndicates due to its large population and increasing number of drug users.
According to the BNN, the number of drug addicts in Indonesia has reached 3.3 million, while the economic impact of drug smuggling is pegged at Rp500 trillion.
