JAKARTA: The Indonesian police foiled a smuggling attempt of 1 ton drugs, the largest-ever in the country, on Thursday, police said.
During the operation launched on tip-off, Indonesian police killed a Taiwan man identified as the kingpin of the drug ring after he refused to surrender.
“Yes, this is the biggest so far as it totally weighs 1 ton. It was conducted by an international drug ring through the sea,” Indonesian police spokesperson Setyo Wasisto said.
The smuggling was conducted by the drug ring through Anyer beach in Banten province’s capital of Serang, some 130 km west of the capital Jakarta, earlier in the day.
Police confiscated crystal methamphetamine drugs in the operation, making it the largest haul had ever been experienced by Indonesian authorities.
The contraband were taken from an abandoned hotel building in Serang, packed in 51 boxes.
Police said the drugs were valued 1.5 trillion rupiah (about 112.3 million U.S. dollars), to be distributed in Jakarta.
The latest raid broke the record of their largest drug seizure in 2015 when they foiled crystal meth smuggling weighed 800 kg in West Jakarta.
Indonesia has declared a war against drug abuses as it has become a serious issue with millions of people have already affected across the country.