Jakarta. Officers from the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, the National Anti-Narcotics Agency, or BNN, and the National Police on Saturday thwarted an attempted smuggling of 29.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 23,000 ecstasy pills in Dumai, Riau.  

Customs director-general Heru Pambudi said two suspected drug smugglers, identified by their initials R.Y. and S.S., were arrested at Dumai's Wilmar Port. 

"Acting on an intelligence tip-off, a joint task force conducted a stakeout at the port and arrested the suspects, who were carrying packages filled with narcotics on a motorcycle," Heru said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Heru said the methamphetamine was hidden in sixteen Guanyiwang Chinese tea boxes and eight Chinese Pin Wei tea boxes. The ecstasy pills were put in a red bag.

Later on the same day, the authorities also foiled another attempted smuggling in Batam by an international drug ring involving smugglers from Malaysia, Batam and Jakarta allegedly controlled by an inmate in Cipinang Prison.

Police officers arrested two other suspects in Batam, identified by their initials F. and S., and seized five yellow boxes and another Chinese tea box filled with methamphetamine.

Synergy Between Law Enforcers

Heru said the two drug busts were part of Bersinar, a call-sign operation across Indonesia conducted by Customs, BNN and the Police.

The operation was designed to cut off domestic and international supply of narcotics.

BNN Eradication and Enforcement Deputy Arman Depari said law enforcement officials need to synergize to fight off powerful drug rings operating in Indonesia. 

"The narcotics syndicates are very solid and strong. Their system is sophisticated and their movement hard to detect. Law enforcers have to match them in strength and coordination," Arman said. 

According to Customs, the Bersinar operation has already thwarted 121 drug-smuggling attempts and seized 888.42 kilograms of narcotics as evidence. 

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