Bareskrim Uncovers 'Instant Noodle Cannabis' Modus from Pekanbaru to Malang, Courier Arrested
The Narcotics Crime Directorate of the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) has uncovered a cannabis smuggling operation where the drugs were disguised inside instant noodle packages and shipped via an expedition route from Pekanbaru to Malang, East Java. During the operation, officers successfully seized more than 5 kilograms of cannabis packed in a cardboard box. Police also arrested a 37-year-old man named Sugiono, a resident of Singosari, Malang Regency, who acted as the recipient and distributor of the illicit substance.
Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, Director of Narcotics Crime at Bareskrim Polri, stated on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, that the case involved the circulation of a Class I narcotic in the form of a brown cardboard package containing cannabis with a gross weight of 5,295 grams, sent via the ID Express courier service from Pekanbaru to Malang.
The case began with a public tip-off regarding a suspicious package suspected to contain narcotics being sent from Pekanbaru to the Malang area. Following up on the report, a joint team comprising the Narcotics Crime Directorate of Bareskrim Polri, the NIC Task Force, and Customs and Excise conducted a series of investigations starting on 12 June 2026. The probe led to a package shipped through the ID Express courier company. A day later, officers collaborated with the ID Express Main Hub in Sidoarjo to monitor the package’s movement until it arrived at its destination.
During the investigation, detectives identified a suspicious pattern. The package recipient was found to have repeatedly collected shipments at the same location using different identities but the same telephone number. To confirm the actual recipient, officers employed a controlled delivery technique, allowing the package to proceed until it was received by the intended party. When Sugiono collected and took possession of the package in the Singosari area on Sunday, 14 June 2026, officers immediately conducted a raid. Eko explained that once the package was received and controlled by the recipient, the joint team swiftly took action and secured Sugiono along with the brown cardboard package, which upon inspection was found to contain dried cannabis, a Class I narcotic, with a gross weight of 5,295 grams.