Bareskrim Reveals Crew of 1.3 Tonne Ketamine Smuggling Vessel Were Promised Rp178 Million Bonus
The Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim) is continuing its investigation into eight suspects in the case of smuggling 1.3 tonnes of ketamine in the waters off Berakit, Bintan, Riau Islands. Police stated that the crew members of the MV King Sun were promised bonuses of up to Rp178 million if their work was completed successfully.
“The bonus for the crew upon completion of the job was USD 10,000, equivalent to Rp178,281,000,” said Senior Commissioner Zulkarnain Harahap, Head of Sub-Directorate III of the Directorate of Drug Crimes at Bareskrim, to reporters on Saturday (15/8/2026).
Zulkarnain explained that the crew, consisting of seven Myanmar nationals and one Taiwanese national, had different roles, and therefore their wages varied. The ship’s captain was paid USD 3,000, or approximately Rp53.4 million, while other positions such as the chief engineer received USD 2,800 (Rp49.9 million), and the lowest position, the cook, was paid USD 1,000 (Rp17.8 million).
Meanwhile, the controller received a monthly salary of NT$50,000 (Rp27.8 million) with a bonus of NT$100,000 (Rp55.6 million) for each delivery.
Previously, the Indonesian Navy, together with a joint task force, intercepted the cargo vessel MV King Sun in the waters off Berakit, Bintan. The operation was the result of lengthy monitoring since February 2026 after authorities received information about unusual activity from a vessel moving from the Thailand region.
After a pursuit and search, officers discovered a cargo of 1.3 tonnes of ketamine. The case has now been handed over to Bareskrim.
Bareskrim stated that the syndicate had carried out three shipments. Before being caught in Indonesia, they had successfully delivered ketamine to the Philippines and Taiwan.
“They had carried out three ketamine shipments, including the one that was intercepted,” said Zulkarnain to reporters at the Bareskrim building in South Jakarta on Thursday (13/8/2026).
“The first was in February, sent to the Philippines, with a quantity of almost the same, between 60 and 65 sacks. The second was taken to Taiwan, also with a similar quantity,” he continued.
The MV King Sun is known to have departed from Batam towards the Gulf of Thailand, then picked up the ketamine cargo in Vietnamese waters before finally being intercepted in North Natuna.
“They then travelled, with the initial order being to head to Indonesian waters, specifically Batam. During the journey, they were caught in North Natuna by a joint team, including the Navy, Bareskrim, the National Narcotics Agency, and Customs and Excise,” he explained.
Of the eight suspects detained, the majority are foreign nationals. One person served as a manager from Taiwan, while the other seven are from Myanmar.