Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

THUMBNAIL-DRUGS

Agence France-Presse

<p>BATAM, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities seized two tons of crystal methamphetamine hidden on a fishing boat and arrested six people in the country&#x27;s biggest-ever drug bust, a senior narcotics official said Monday.</p><p>The National Narcotics Agency, or BNN, said Thai authorities had notified them that the Indonesian-flagged vessel, sailing from the Andaman Sea to Batam Island, could be carrying a huge haul of narcotics.</p><p>Indonesian authorities intercepted the boat in waters off the Riau islands last Tuesday, and found 2,000 packages of crystal meth stuffed into cardboard boxes hidden within the ship.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/17/mary-jane-veloso-arrives-in-ph-after-14-year-imprisonment-in-indonesia-0601">Mary Jane Veloso arrives in PH after 14-year imprisonment in Indonesia</a></div><p>&quot;The result of the search is two tons of crystal methamphetamine,&quot; BNN chief Marthinus Hukom told a press conference. &quot;This is the biggest haul in Indonesia&#x27;s narcotics bust history.&quot;</p><p>Marthinus estimated the drugs to be worth nearly $308,000,000.</p><p>Indonesian authorities investigated the case over the last five months, working closely with Thai authorities.</p><p>The illicit drugs were produced in the &quot;Golden Triangle&quot; region where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet, and were smuggled by an organized crime group working with Indonesian traffickers, Marthinus said.</p><p>Six people onboard the fishing boat were arrested, including four Indonesians and two Thai nationals.</p><p>The crew told authorities they were fishermen recruited by the drugs syndicate which promised to pay them 50,000 Thai Baht ($1,500) and a $3,000 bonus.</p><p>Marthinus said a fugitive from Thailand was behind the operation and that Indonesia would issue a red notice for the trafficker.</p><p>Monday&#x27;s drug bust was the second major drug seizure this month. Indonesian authorities previously seized 1.2 tons of crystal meth and more than 700 kilograms of cocaine inside a Thailand-flagged fishing boat near the Riau islands.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/18/timeline-mary-jane-veloso-s-decade-long-ordeal-from-indonesian-death-row-to-miracle-homecoming-1327">TIMELINE: Mary Jane Veloso&#x27;s decade-long ordeal from Indonesian death row to &#x27;miracle&#x27; homecoming</a></div><p>Indonesia has some of the world&#x27;s toughest anti-drug laws, including capital punishment for some trafficking cases.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HLJCDajaXG4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The illicit drugs were produced in the "Golden Triangle" region where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.</p>

The illicit drugs were produced in the "Golden Triangle" region where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.

Indonesia seizes record 2 tons of crystal meth produced in 'Golden Triangle'

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Indonesia seizes record 2 tons of crystal meth produced in 'Golden Triangle'

Agence France-Presse

Published May 26, 2025 06:34 PM PHT

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