3 Suspected Drug Traffickers Nabbed in West Aceh's Meulaboh

TEMPO.CO, Meulaboh, Aceh - The West Aceh police have arrested three suspected drug traffickers with 40 packs of dried marijuana that they attempted to sell in Meulaboh city, Aceh province, a police officer informed.

"The suspects are currently in police custody for further investigation," chief of the West Aceh Police's Narcotics Unit, Adjunct Commissioner Erwo Guntoro, said.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, Guntoro informed that the suspects, identified as RP, 33; RS, 37; and HR, 44, were nabbed from a house in the Kerinci neighborhood of Kuta Padang village, Meulaboh city.

Besides seizing 40 packs of dried marijuana, local cops who raided the house also confiscated two cellular phones from the suspects, he said. However, he did not disclose the gross weight of the seized cannabis package.

The suspects were apprehended based on a tip provided by local residents, he said.

ANTARA has reported earlier that Aceh has been in a state of emergency over drug trafficking with transnational and interprovincial drug rings still active in the province despite the ongoing crackdown against them.

Both police and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) have continued to clamp down on drug kingpins and their drug supply networks in Aceh over the past few years.

Domestic and transnational drug dealers consider Indonesia to be a potential market due to its vast population and millions of drug users.

The value of the drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached nearly Rp66 trillion, with the number of drug trafficking cases continuing to surge.

A joint survey conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in 2019 pegged the number of drug users in Indonesia at over 3.4 million.

The survey conducted in 34 provinces indicated that about 180 out of every 10,000 Indonesians in the age group of 15 to 64 years were addicted to drugs.

The users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs can belong to any community and socioeconomic and cultural background.

ANTARA

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