(Jakarta, 22nd) — The Indonesian National Narcotics Agency seized 3.41 metric tons of methamphetamine (ice) in the first six months of this year, with a black market value of 1.98 billion ringgit, surpassing the total annual seizures of the past five years.
According to official data, Indonesia seized less than 1 ton of methamphetamine last year, while the full-year seizures from 2020 to 2023 ranged between 1.2 and 2.8 tons. In addition to the 3.41 tons of meth seized this year, another 2.65 tons of drugs such as marijuana and cocaine were also confiscated, with a black market value of at least 313.6 million ringgit.
Agency head Marthinus, in an interview with Singapore’s The Straits Times, said the sea-based drug trafficking routes start in Myanmar and pass through Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
He cited May’s major methamphetamine case as an example: the batch was produced in Myanmar, loaded onto a Thailand-made smuggling vessel, and sailed south from the Andaman Sea through the Strait of Malacca. Off the coast of Kalimantan, Indonesia, part of the meth was unloaded. The drug shipment then continued toward the Philippines and Taiwan, but was intercepted near Batam Island.
Marthinus said that when the ships pass off Kalimantan, the meth is transferred to smaller boats for distribution to Java and Sulawesi. During transfers, some of the drugs sometimes fall into the sea, and local fishermen have reportedly retrieved packages containing drugs.
Indonesian authorities seized 2.1 tons of meth from this vessel, enough for 8 million users. This is the largest methamphetamine case in Indonesia’s history.
According to the National Narcotics Agency’s analysis, ships transporting methamphetamine to Malaysia usually depart from Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, while those going to the Philippines pass through Mindanao.
Marthinus said, “We have not only cut off drug trafficking routes to ASEAN countries but also disrupted the trade chain to Taiwan. It is expected that drug trafficking groups will change their delivery routes.”
According to official data, Indonesia seized less than 1 ton of methamphetamine last year, while the full-year seizures from 2020 to 2023 ranged between 1.2 and 2.8 tons. In addition to the 3.41 tons of meth seized this year, another 2.65 tons of drugs such as marijuana and cocaine were also confiscated, with a black market value of at least 313.6 million ringgit.
Agency head Marthinus, in an interview with Singapore’s The Straits Times, said the sea-based drug trafficking routes start in Myanmar and pass through Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
He cited May’s major methamphetamine case as an example: the batch was produced in Myanmar, loaded onto a Thailand-made smuggling vessel, and sailed south from the Andaman Sea through the Strait of Malacca. Off the coast of Kalimantan, Indonesia, part of the meth was unloaded. The drug shipment then continued toward the Philippines and Taiwan, but was intercepted near Batam Island.
Marthinus said that when the ships pass off Kalimantan, the meth is transferred to smaller boats for distribution to Java and Sulawesi. During transfers, some of the drugs sometimes fall into the sea, and local fishermen have reportedly retrieved packages containing drugs.
Indonesian authorities seized 2.1 tons of meth from this vessel, enough for 8 million users. This is the largest methamphetamine case in Indonesia’s history.
According to the National Narcotics Agency’s analysis, ships transporting methamphetamine to Malaysia usually depart from Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, while those going to the Philippines pass through Mindanao.
Marthinus said, “We have not only cut off drug trafficking routes to ASEAN countries but also disrupted the trade chain to Taiwan. It is expected that drug trafficking groups will change their delivery routes.”
According to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 236 tons of methamphetamine were seized in the region in 2024, a 24% increase from the previous year and a record high.
Methamphetamine has a strong stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Long-term use damages the brain and heart, can lead to mania, depression, arrhythmia, rapid breathing, exhaustion, or even death. In Indonesia, meth and marijuana are the two most widespread drugs, with meth priced at an average of $135 (about 571 ringgit) per gram on the local market. In the first 11 months of 2024, Indonesia arrested 53,672 drug traffickers, higher than 50,291 in 2023.
Methamphetamine has a strong stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Long-term use damages the brain and heart, can lead to mania, depression, arrhythmia, rapid breathing, exhaustion, or even death. In Indonesia, meth and marijuana are the two most widespread drugs, with meth priced at an average of $135 (about 571 ringgit) per gram on the local market. In the first 11 months of 2024, Indonesia arrested 53,672 drug traffickers, higher than 50,291 in 2023.