Customs Intercepts MV Ocean Porter, 2.6 Tonnes of Liquid Methamphetamine Seized
Customs and Excise, together with a joint task force, foiled the smuggling of 2.6 tonnes of pure liquid methamphetamine originating from Myanmar aboard the MV Ocean Porter in the waters off Bengkalis, Riau.
The disclosure represents one of the major operations in dismantling transnational narcotics smuggling routes through Indonesian waters. The Tanzanian-flagged vessel was known to be crewed by ten Myanmar nationals.
The interception operation was carried out by a joint team comprising Customs and Excise, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the Riau Islands Police and the Indonesian Navy on Monday (17/8/2026), coinciding with Indonesia’s Independence Day.
Officers then conducted an inspection of the vessel and discovered a hidden compartment. Inside were eight drums with a capacity of 200 litres each and one tank with a capacity of 1,000 litres.
From all these containers, officers secured approximately 2,600 litres, or 2.6 tonnes, of pure liquid methamphetamine.
In addition to the narcotics, officers also found around 1.57 million illegal GD-brand cigarettes from China being transported on the vessel.
Head of BNN Commissioner General Suyudi Ario Seto said the liquid methamphetamine was suspected to be intended to supply the narcotics market through electronic cigarette devices, or vapes.
“This network is exploiting the lifestyle trend of vape use among the public. Based on density calculations, this 2.6 tonnes of pure liquid methamphetamine could potentially be mixed into 2.82 million narcotic vape cartridges,” he said on Friday (21/8).
If successfully distributed in cartridge form, the narcotics are estimated to be worth around Rp8.47 trillion, assuming a price of Rp3 million per cartridge.
Further examination revealed the alleged concealment tactics employed by the vessel. The MV Ocean Porter is known to have changed its name several times since December 2025.
The vessel was recorded as using a number of names, from Hongran II, Res Win and Rainmaker to MV Ocean Porter.
The vessel’s movements were also allegedly concealed by switching off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) when passing through several maritime areas.
The vessel’s sailing route included Taiwan, the Philippines, Sarawak, Thailand and the Malacca Strait before it was finally detected in the operation.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs General (Ret.) Djamari Chaniago said the disclosure shows that Indonesian waters remain a target for transnational narcotics networks.
The joint operation also underscores the importance of maritime surveillance in severing the smuggling chain for narcotics and illegal goods from abroad.
Meanwhile, BNN has recommended a total ban on electronic cigarettes in Indonesia. The recommendation was made after officers discovered the potential use of vapes as a means of consuming liquid narcotics.