Recently-discovered drug syndicate controlled from M'sia: police

An illicit drug syndicate operating in Indonesia, three members of which were recently arrested in Batam, is apparently controlled from Malaysia, the police said on Thursday.

Batam's Barelang Police deputy head of narcotics investigation unit Adj. Comr. Raja Buntat Abbas said in a press conference in Batam that the three suspects worked under the supervision of a Malaysian.

“The syndicate is controlled by a Malaysian from Malaysia. He gives instructions to members of his syndicate via cell phone,” Raja said, as quoted by kompas.com.

The Batam customs and excise office arrested S.B., 31, a Malaysian, at Batam international ferry terminal on Monday for carrying 4.1 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

The case was then handed over to the police, who arrested two other alleged members of the syndicate, M.M., an Indonesian, and I.K. from the Ivory Coast, in Jakarta.

Preliminary police investigation results show that, while S.B. and M.M. served as couriers, I.K. was a dealer.