Indonesian authorities have seized 1.3 tonnes of ketamine worth around a hundred million euros aboard a foreign-flagged ship, the country’s main anti-drug official announced on Sunday, one of the largest drug seizures ever made in the archipelago.
Authorities received intelligence in February that the MV King Sun had left eastern Thailand for Indonesia with a “suspicious” cargo, leading to several months of surveillance, National Narcotics Agency chief Suyudi Ario Seto said.
A navy warship intercepted the boat on Thursday as it entered Indonesian waters, it said.
“On August 7, the joint team discovered 65 bags hidden inside the ship. After analysis, it appeared that they contained ketamine,” Suyudi Ario Seto said at a press conference on Sunday on the Indonesian island of Batam.
The total cargo is estimated at 1.3 tonnes, with a value equivalent to 100.56 million euros, he said, adding that authorities were still searching the boat to see if they could find more.
Ketamine is a drug that functions primarily as a fast-acting anesthetic, but is widely used as an illicit party drug. Its distribution is strictly controlled and monitored in Indonesia.
State news agency Antara reported that the ship was registered under the Tanzanian flag and was intercepted in the waters around the Riau Islands province, located near Singapore.
The eight crew members on board the ship – seven Burmese and one Taiwanese – were taken into custody, the National Narcotics Agency added.
“We are still investigating the origin of the cargo, the port of destination, who was the sender and the recipient,” added Suyudi Ario Seto.
Last month, Indonesian authorities seized 3.37 tonnes of cannabis buds in foiling a smuggling operation from Thailand and arrested 12 suspects.
In 2021, Indonesian police dismantled a network that brought 2.5 tons of methamphetamine into the country from Afghanistan and arrested 17 people.
Indonesia has instituted one of the strictest anti-drug laws in the world, including the death penalty for traffickers, but has maintained a moratorium on executions for several years.
