Indonesian authorities successfully uncovered a significant amount of ketamine in a Mongolian-flagged tanker in the Malacca Strait. This discovery led to the initiation of investigations regarding the ownership and activities of this tanker.
Details of the tanker seizure
The tanker was seized on October 20 near Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra. This action was taken due to the suspicious movements of the tanker and its automatic identification system (AIS) being turned off for several days. Indonesian police had been monitoring this vessel for a long time and suspected its involvement in smuggling. Prior to the seizure, the ship had been seen in a suspicious state off the western coast of Thailand.
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Contents of the shipment and its consequences
After inspection, Indonesian authorities discovered 54 bags of ketamine weighing 1.1 tons and valued at $14 million. All crew members, including seven Indonesian citizens and one Chinese national, were detained for further investigation. This tanker, known as "Global 168," is registered under the Mongolian flag and is owned by two Malaysian traders in Johor, Malaysia.
The Royal Malaysian Police have been informed of the seizure of this tanker, and the drug enforcement unit of this agency intends to summon the owners for questioning. Additionally, this unit will investigate whether a Malaysian drug syndicate was involved in the operations of this vessel.
In August, Indonesian authorities once again succeeded in uncovering a small cargo ship that was carrying 2.6 tons of liquid methamphetamine and 1.5 million smuggled Chinese cigarettes. All Burmese crew members were also detained at that time for questioning.
Drug trafficking in Indonesia is technically punishable by death, but in practice, the penalty has been reduced to life imprisonment pending execution. Since 2016, a moratorium on executions has been in effect. However, courts still routinely issue death sentences that may be carried out if policies change in the future.
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