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Hundreds of Indonesians overseas jailed for drugs
More than 400 Indonesians overseas were arrested for drug smuggling in 2010, with 305 arrested in Malaysia alone, a year-end report by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) said
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ore than 400 Indonesians overseas were arrested for drug smuggling in 2010, with 305 arrested in Malaysia alone, a year-end report by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) said.
Indonesian drug smugglers were arrested in 21 countries, including China, where 33 Indonesians were arrested, Japan (13 arrests), Hong Kong (10 arrests) and Australia (five arrests).
Eight Indonesians were also arrested on drug charges in various countries in Central and South America. The BNN said 35 of the Indonesians arrested this year were sentenced to death.
At home, the BNN arrested 64 Indonesians and 24 foreigners on drug charges, while 58 drug offenders received the death sentence in 2010, 41 of them foreigners.
Most of the foreigners sentenced to death are Nigerian, Chinese, Dutch, Australian and Pakistani nationals.
The BNN added that it was still hunting for 23 suspects still at large.
The National Police said there were 24,417 narcotics cases between January and October 2010.
The police added that in the same period, 32,551 Indonesian suspects and 183 foreign suspects were arrested.
In 2010, the customs office confiscated a total of 410 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 1,030 milliliters of liquid crystal meth in 156 drug trafficking cases, arresting 62 Indonesians and 94 foreigners in the process.
Some of the international and regional drug networks the BNN managed to crack include an Iranian syndicate, a drug ring operating between China, Nigeria, Malaysia and Indonesia, an India-Malaysia-Indonesia drug ring, a China-Indonesia syndicate, a Singapore-Indonesia syndicate and an India-Nepal-Malaysia-Indonesia drug ring.
In 2010, the BNN tackled 61 cases involving drug syndicates and confiscated almost 5 kilograms of marijuana, 130 kilograms of crystal meth, 10 kilograms of heroine, 19,953 ecstasy pills, 162 grams of cocaine and 1,988 grams of precursor drugs. Most of the confiscated drugs have also been destroyed, the report claimed.
BNN spokesman Sumirat Dwiyanto said there were several changes to the operating methods used by drug syndicates in the country.
“The majority [of smugglers] used to be Nigerians, who are easy to spot, but now many of them are Asians, including Cambodians and Thais, who are physically similar to Indonesians,” he said.
Sumirat said the syndicates mostly produced drugs in kitchen labs instead of in large plants. Topping the list of illegal narcotics traded throughout 2010 was marijuana, followed by crystal meth, ecstasy and heroin, he said.
The BNN also uncovered syndicates that were being run by convicts behind bars, as well as se-
veral clandestine labs across the country. Currently, the BNN is investigating 11 drug syndicates,
three of which are international networks.
Apart from arresting suspects, the BNN also campaigned on prevention measures to decrease the number of drug cases.
Some of the measures include establishing youth networks at universities in 11 provinces, setting up a website to inform about the dangers of drugs to young people and new policies at immigration to screen visa applications for suspected foreign nationals.
The National Police said there were 24,417 narcotics cases between January and October 2010.
