Bareskrim Targets Assets of Drug Lord Ko Erwin, Aims to Impoverish Perpetrators
The Narcotics Criminal Directorate of the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) continues to dismantle the network of the major drug lord Ko Erwin. Beyond targeting the perpetrators of drug distribution with prison sentences, Polri is also focusing on impoverishment efforts through the Money Laundering Crime (TPPU) article.
Director of Narcotics Criminal Affairs (Dirtipid) at Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, emphasised that they are currently tracking and seizing assets belonging to Ko Erwin’s network. This step is intended to provide a deterrent effect to the perpetrators.
“The core of current drug handling emphasises TPPU more. Not only uncovering the original crime, but developing it further to impoverish the drug distribution perpetrators,” said Eko to reporters at Bareskrim Polri, South Jakarta, on Friday (24/4/2026).
Eko explained that this impoverishment strategy is a firm instruction to cut off the drug distribution chain at its roots. As part of these measures, investigators have also designated Ko Erwin’s wife and two children as TPPU suspects.
The three have arrived at Bareskrim Polri for further examination. They are Virda Virginia Pahlevi, Ko Erwin’s wife, and their two children named Hadi Sumarho Iskandar and Christina Aurelia.
However, Eko has not yet detailed the total value of assets seized from the drug lord’s family. This is because they are still conducting a complete inventory of the flow of funds and assets from the drug crime proceeds belonging to Ko Erwin’s network.
“We will release the approximate figure after it is complete, on how much TPPU we have successfully seized,” Eko concluded.
The three were arrested in Sumbawa Regency and Mataram City, West Nusa Tenggara Province (NTB). The arrests were carried out by a joint team from Subdit IV Dittipidnarkoba Bareskrim Polri and the Bareskrim Polri NIC Task Force, led by Commissioner Handik Zusen and Commissioner Kevin Leleury.
As is known, Ko Erwin is a major drug lord in NTB. He himself was arrested while attempting to flee to Malaysia on Thursday, 26 February 2026, specifically in the waters of Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra.
The Ko Erwin case also implicates former Bima City Police Chief AKBP Didik Putra Kuncoro and former Bima City Police Narcotics Unit Head AKP Malaungi.
Andre is said to be the figure who supplied the methamphetamine purchased by Ko Erwin for distribution in the Bima area, NTB. Ko Erwin is known to have conducted two transactions with Andre in January 2026. The first transaction was worth Rp 400 million for 2 kg of methamphetamine. Then, the second transaction was Rp 400 million for 3 kg of methamphetamine received.
After arresting Ko Erwin, Bareskrim also apprehended several suspects in Ko Erwin’s network. One of them is Andre alias The Doctor, who supplied methamphetamine to Ko Erwin.