The agency's officers seized the illicit drug package, a car, and two hand-held phones from the suspect, the agency's head, Brig. Gen. M. Aris Purnomo, stated.
The suspect, only identified by his initials as MM, 41, was apprehended while walking to an automatic teller machine in the yard of a supermarket in Tuban District, he remarked.
The agency's officers found two plastic bags containing 1,646 grams of crystal meth in the suspect's vehicle, Purnomo noted in a statement that ANTARA quoted on Wednesday.
MM confessed to the BNN investigators that a person, whom he called "his boss", identified as MW, had ordered him to transport the drug package from Jakarta to Surabaya aboard a car.
The suspect knew MW from his friend, identified as YY, Purnomo remarked, adding that MM had agreed to transport the package, as he was promised to be paid Rp16 million for it.
"He also received Rp5 million as down payment that was transferred to his bank account," Purnomo stated.
For this drug offense, BNN investigators have charged MM for violating Articles 114 (2) and 112 (2) of Indonesia's Drug Law No. 35 of 2009.
Indonesia remains under serious threat from drug dealers, as scores of people from its working-age population have gotten trapped in a vicious circle.
The National Narcotics Agency’s (BNN’s) report of some 50 Indonesians dying of drug use daily has failed to deter drug users in the country from consuming these banned substances.
The users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs come from different communities and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
In February 2021, the West Java Police's Propam had placed in detention 12 cops, including the chief of the Astanaanyar district police precinct, on grounds of allegedly consuming a narcotics drug.
Hence, both domestic and transnational drug dealers perceive Indonesia as a potential market owing to its vast population and millions of drug users. The value of drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached almost at least Rp66 trillion.
In response to the smuggling of illicit drugs by drug kingpins and traded in the country over the past few decades, the Indonesian government continues to apply harsh punitive action against them.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo had also issued shoot-at-sight orders against drug kingpins.
However, this has failed to deter drug traffickers, who continue to treat Indonesia as one of their key markets even, as Indonesian law enforcers continue their fight against them.
EDITED BY INE (*)
