JAVA, RAKYAT NEWS— In a significant breakthrough, the Sidoarjo Police’s Narcotics Unit successfully intercepted a major drug shipment, seizing 30 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine believed to be part of an international drug network.

East Java Police Chief, Inspector General Imam Sugianto, confirmed on Friday that a suspect, identified as MI, alias Iyek, was arrested in connection with the case. The suspect, a resident of Sampang, was apprehended while driving a pickup truck loaded with the illicit drugs.

“This arrest is the result of an extensive investigation following the capture of a married couple on April 17, 2024, in Bangsri, Sukodono District, Sidoarjo,” Sugianto said

The couple, apprehended earlier this year, provided crucial information about a drug kingpin who frequently smuggled meth from China into Indonesia, distributing it across various regions, including Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Kalimantan, through maritime routes.

Building on this intelligence, the Sidoarjo Police Narcotics Unit intensified its investigation and uncovered details of a large shipment arriving from China. After a month of surveillance, law enforcement officers tracked down a silver Grandmax pickup truck transporting two wooden crates filled with white crystalline substances, suspected to be meth. The drugs were concealed in Chinese tea packaging, each weighing one kilogram, totaling 30 kilograms.

The dramatic arrest took place on July 22, 2024, at the Sidoarjo toll gate, where MI attempted to flee at high speed. A chase ensued, culminating in his capture near the Pondok Mutiara housing complex. The police successfully recovered the pickup truck and its illegal cargo.

The evidence secured by the police includes the silver Grandmax pickup and two crates containing the methamphetamine, which was packaged in Chinese tea wrappers. Each packet weighed one kilogram, with a total of 30 packages weighing 30 kilograms.