Indonesian Navy nabs drug courier arriving from Malaysia

Medan (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Navy has arrested a suspected drug courier and seized a modified bag filled with crystal methamphetamine at the Belacan Traditional Pier in Bagan Asahan Village, officials said Tuesday.

“The suspect was caught at the Belacan Traditional Pier. The meth was found inside a modified bag,” Navy officer Dwi said.

According to the investigation, the suspect admitted he had departed Malaysia on November 19 after living there since 2018.

He told authorities he received the methamphetamine from a Malaysian acquaintance identified as MD.

After collecting the drugs, the suspect waited for further instructions from MD on when to hand over the package once in Indonesia.

“SN claimed he was only a courier. The meth was entrusted to him by his roommate in Malaysia, identified as MD. SN then waited for MD’s orders for the delivery process in Indonesia,” Dwi said.

Dwi stressed that the arrest underscores the Navy’s readiness to safeguard the country’s waters.

“This is a concrete example of the Navy carrying out President Prabowo Subianto's Asta Cita directives, followed up by Naval Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali, to maintain vigilance, strengthen maritime surveillance, and eradicate all forms of crime,” he said.

Indonesia enforces some of the world’s toughest drug laws, with major traffickers facing life imprisonment or the death penalty.

On Sept. 4, 2025, the Medan District Court in North Sumatra, for instance, sentenced M. Alfarisi, 36, to death for acting as a courier in the trafficking of nearly 4,833 ecstasy pills.

Despite these strict penalties, the country remains a lucrative market for drug syndicates, driven by its large population and millions of users.

The nation’s drug trade is valued at an estimated 66 trillion rupiah (US$4.3 billion), according to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN).

A BNN survey estimates that 3.4 million Indonesians use drugs—roughly 180 out of every 10,000 people aged 15 to 64.