A Dutch man has been arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of drug smuggling, according to Indonesian media reports. Authorities allege that crystal meth was concealed in books, household appliances, and cans of candy as part of an operation run by an international smuggling network.
Alongside the Dutch national, Indonesian police detained six Indonesians, a German, a Singaporean, a Malaysian, and a Chinese citizen. The arrests were announced during a special press conference held jointly by customs officials and the police, where all suspects were presented publicly.
RTL’s Southeast Asia correspondent Thom Schelstraete said in the newspaper’s article that the Indonesian government intended to make an example of the case. “Indonesia wants to deter potential criminals and show it is serious about fighting drug smuggling,” Schelstraete stated. “The illegal trade is a growing problem in Southeast Asia.”
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it had not yet received a formal request for assistance from the arrested Dutch citizen. However, the ministry acknowledged that the local embassy had picked up reports in Indonesian media about a detained Dutch national.
Schelstraete warned that the suspects face the possibility of harsh punishment. “For this type of drug offense, you can be sentenced to death in Indonesia,” he said. “In practice, that usually means life imprisonment. Indonesia has not carried out any executions of convicted drug offenders since 2016.”
Indonesia has intensified efforts against drug trafficking in recent years. Last month, authorities seized two metric tons of meth that had been smuggled by ship. Officials said it was the country’s largest-ever drug bust, with an estimated street value between 200 million and 400 million euros.
Figures from the United Nations indicate that 236 metric tons of drugs were intercepted in the region last year, an increase of more than 25 percent compared to the previous year.
Schelstraete linked the surge in synthetic drugs, especially methamphetamine, to developments in Myanmar. “The region is currently being flooded with synthetic drugs, mainly meth,” he said in the article. “The UN attributes this to rising production in Myanmar, where a civil war has been raging for years.”
“The production is hardly being addressed,” Schelstraete added. “There are even indications that the manufacturing is tolerated or supported to fund weapons and ammunition. All these drugs are then transported, including to Indonesia.”