Drug Smuggling Methods Grow Ever More Ingenious: Methamphetamine Concealed in Snail Shells in Lembang

Police have uncovered an unusual method used in a drug smuggling operation in Lembang District, West Bandung Regency. A man, identified only by his initials RPA (27), was arrested after smuggling methamphetamine using snail shells. “We have apprehended a young man from Lembang who was distributing methamphetamine, but he disguised it by hiding it inside snail meat,” said Cimahi Police Chief AKBP Niko N Adi Putra, as reported by detikJabar on Tuesday (24 February 2026). Police seized 2.08 grams of methamphetamine and several snail shells from RPA during the arrest. The perpetrator admitted that he deliberately searched for snails in the rice fields near his home. After obtaining the snails, he emptied their shells and then inserted the methamphetamine, which had been wrapped in plastic, into the shells. “He first searched for the snails in the rice fields, then he emptied their contents, and then he put the methamphetamine, which was already wrapped in plastic, inside the shells,” said Niko. He then packaged the snails into small, ready-to-sell packets and stored them at a predetermined location. He would then hand over the location to his customers for them to collect the drugs. RPA had been using this smuggling method for the past three months. “He has been doing this for three months, earning Rp 6 million from each sale,” said Niko. Read the full story here. (ygs/imk)