Indonesia Seizes 1.16 Tonnes Of Ketamine From Tanker After Suspected Ship-To-Ship Transfer

Indonesian authorities have seized 1.16 tonnes of ketamine worth about $192 million from a Mongolian-flagged tanker off North Sumatra after investigators tracked its movements from Malaysia and suspected a ship-to-ship drug transfer in the Andaman Sea.

Eight crew members were detained when MT Global 168 was intercepted off Tanjung Balai Asahan on October 20, National Police chief General Suyudi Ario Seto said.

The vessel’s automatic identification system (AIS) had been switched off for three days and 17 hours, according to investigators.

The seizure followed intelligence monitoring by Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Customs and Excise, and police. Malaysian authorities are also investigating people and companies suspected of links to the shipment.

Suyudi said the investigation began after analysts detected irregularities in the tanker’s movements. The vessel had been monitored since August by analysts from the BNN and Customs.

The tanker departed from Pasir Gudang in Malaysia in September and stopped at Port Klang to replenish fresh water and fuel before heading towards the Andaman Sea.

Investigators believe it carried out a ship-to-ship transfer of ketamine in the area during the second week of October. Suyudi said drug smugglers often use transfers between vessels in the Andaman Sea and the Malacca Strait to move illegal cargo.

The tanker’s identity was established through docking documents found aboard another seized vessel, Phu Sanh Singharaj. Indonesian authorities had previously seized 800 kg of ketamine from that vessel, Suyudi said.

The tanker’s AIS was switched off for three days and 17 hours, which investigators believe was intended to avoid detection.

On October 14, authorities tracked MT Global 168 passing through the Malacca Strait, heading north-west near Taiping in Malaysia’s Perak state. It continued past northern Aceh and reached waters off Thailand’s Trang province on October 16.

The vessel later slowed down. On October 18, its AIS recorded 16 positions in an anchoring area, with a reported speed of 0.08 knots. Investigators said the movement could have been caused by the anchor or sea currents.

A joint team from the BNN, Customs and the police’s Criminal Investigation Department deployed Customs patrol boat BC20006 and police patrol boat KP Murai 4018 to intercept the tanker near Kuala Tanjung at about 3.05 a.m. on October 20.

Suyudi said the original plan was to stop the vessel before it entered Port Klang, but officers detained it off Tanjung Balai Asahan instead.

Officers found 1.16 tonnes of ketamine hydrochloride packed in 58 sacks, according to Indonesian authorities.

The eight detained crew members included seven Indonesians and one Chinese national, according to the detailed Indonesian police account. They included the captain, chief officer, chief engineer, second engineer, an oiler and three able seamen.

A separate report described the eighth crew member as Taiwanese.

The 57-metre tanker is identified by the transponder name Global 168, IMO number 9078347 and MMSI 457615000. It was sailing under the Mongolian flag.

Suyudi valued the drugs at 3.48 trillion rupiah, or about $192 million, based on an estimated price of 3 million rupiah per gramme.

He said the seizure could have prevented 5.8 million people from consuming the drug, assuming five people could use one gram. He also estimated that it could have avoided 116 trillion rupiah in rehabilitation costs, based on a six-month treatment cost of 20 million rupiah per person. These figures were estimates provided by the police chief.

Ketamine is used medically as an anaesthetic and for pain management. It is also misused as a recreational drug.

Malaysian police have identified individuals and companies suspected of being connected to the shipment and are trying to locate them, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail said, according to Harian Metro.

Khalid said arrests could follow soon. He added that Malaysian police would continue working with their Indonesian counterparts to ensure those involved were brought before the courts.

He confirmed that the tanker had departed from Johor and stopped at Port Klang before travelling towards the Andaman Sea, where investigators believe the transfer took place.

Customs and Excise Director General Djaka Budhi Utama said the seizure resulted from cooperation and continued intelligence analysis among agencies working to dismantle international drug networks operating in Indonesia, particularly around the Malacca Strait.

Later on Friday, Suyudi visited a suspected crystal methamphetamine factory in Beureueh Dua village, East Mutiara district, Pidie regency, in Aceh.

A separate joint team from the BNN, Customs and the National Police had raided a shophouse there on Wednesday, seizing 1.2 tonnes of liquid and crystal methamphetamine and production equipment. Eleven people, including two Chinese nationals, were detained.

Suyudi said the case showed that Indonesia was no longer only a market for illegal drugs but was also being targeted as a production base by international syndicates.

Indonesia has strict drug laws. In 2015, the country executed two Australians convicted of attempting to smuggle heroin out of Bali as part of the Bali Nine case.

The investigation into the tanker shipment is continuing. Malaysian police are pursuing suspected links to individuals and companies, while Indonesian authorities have not announced further arrests connected to MT Global 168.

References: thestar, freemalaysiatoday