Indonesia Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle 1.3 Tons of Ketamine

RRI.CO.ID, Riau Island - Indonesia’s government has succeeded in thwarting a narcotics smuggling attempt of 1,3 ton ketamine in the Natuna waters, Riau Islands Province. In the operation, the authorities confiscated a ship called “King Sun” and eight ship crew suspected to be involved, according to the statement released on Monday, August 10, 2026.

The joint operation involved the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Customs and Excise, the Indonesian Navy, the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri), the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), and the Riau Islands Regional Police. Authorities began coordinating the operation on August 4 after receiving intelligence that the suspected smuggling vessel was traveling from the Gulf of Thailand toward Indonesian waters.

The case originated from intelligence information obtained by BNN and Customs and Excise in February 2026 regarding the alleged transportation of narcotics aboard a vessel identified as Fude/King Sun. On August 6, authorities detected the target vessel entering Indonesian waters, prompting Indonesian Navy vessels KRI Kerambit-627, KRI Surik-645, and KRI Karotang-872 to carry out a blockade and interception operation.

The joint team from BNN, Customs and Excise, and Bareskrim Polri aboard the BC 30005 vessel then joined the operation and escorted the King Sun toward Bintan waters. The authorities subsequently boarded the vessel and escorted it with its crew to the Naval Regional Command IV, Naval Base in Tanjung Sengkuang for further inspection.

A detailed inspection was conducted on August 7, involving K-9 units and questioning of the crew members. Authorities discovered a concealed storage compartment beneath the floor of a crew cabin, which was suspected to have been used to hide the narcotics.

The authorities arrested eight crew members identified by the initials ZO, MML, KH, MM, TA, ML, TMH, and PL. They also seized 65 sacks, with 64 sacks each containing approximately 20 green Chinese tea packages and another containing 18 packages suspected to contain crystal-form ketamine, with a gross weight of approximately 1.3 tons.

The seizure marks an important step in disrupting maritime routes used to bring narcotics into Indonesia and exposing an international drug trafficking network. The joint operation team will intensify its examination of the suspects and expand the investigation to identify the syndicate, other parties involved, and the international logistics routes used in the smuggling operation.