The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) thwarted drug smuggling in the Riau Islands.
An attempt was made to smuggle 106 kg of crystal methamphetamine on board a Singapore-flagged LCT-type foreign ship passing through the waters of the Riau Islands
“This disclosure is the result of collaborative work and assisted by reports from the public,” Head of BNN RI Marthinus Hukom stated in Batam on Wednesday.
The three-star police general remarked that three foreign nationals from India were included in the disclosure, but they held Singapore permits.
The three suspects, namely RN, SD, and GF, were said to be the masterminds behind the attempt to smuggle 106 kg of methamphetamine.
“They are not crew members, but they are on this ship designing a place to hide these drugs,” Hukom noted.
The Singapore-flagged Legend Aquarius reportedly sailed across the Karimun Waters, Riau Islands, with the destination being Brisbane, Australia.
“They claim that their destination is Brisbane, Australia, but we are still investigating that claim,” he remarked.
An in-depth investigation was conducted, as the three suspects were not crew members but outsiders who were on board the ship.
“These three people designed a special place to store drugs hidden on the ship’s deck and placed them in a fuel container,” Hukom remarked.