Eight MV King Sun Crew Members Detained in Jakarta Over 1.3 Tonnes of Ketamine
The Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police has detained a total of eight crew members of the MV King Sun who have been named suspects in the smuggling of 1.3 tonnes of ketamine.
The Director of Drug Crimes at Bareskrim, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, said the eight suspects arrested by a joint team in the waters off Berakit, Bintan, Riau Islands, have been brought to Jakarta for detention and further examination.
“The eight crew member suspects from the ketamine-carrying vessel MV King Sun have been brought to Jakarta for further investigation by Sub-Directorate 3 of the Drug Crimes Directorate at Bareskrim,” he told reporters on Thursday (13/8).
Meanwhile, the Head of Sub-Directorate III of the Drug Crimes Directorate at Bareskrim, Senior Commissioner Zulkarnain Harahap, explained that the investigation was handed over because the authority to investigate the case falls within the remit of the police.
“Because the authority to investigate pharmaceutical preparations lies with the police, the investigation is being conducted by Bareskrim, specifically Sub-Directorate 3 of the Drug Crimes Directorate,” he explained.
He added that this division of tasks is in accordance with Law Number 17 of 2023 on Health. Under the regulation, investigations related to pharmaceutical preparations are conducted by the National Police, while the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) focuses on investigating narcotics and psychotropic substances.
“The investigators are police investigators, while the BNN investigates narcotics and psychotropic substances,” Zulkarnain said.
In this case, the eight suspects, all foreign nationals from Myanmar, are not being charged under the Narcotics Law. This is because ketamine is not yet categorised as a narcotic under the regulations currently in force in Indonesia.
The suspects will be charged under Law Number 17 of 2023 on Health, which carries a maximum penalty of 12 years’ imprisonment.
Zulkarnain added that through this examination, his team will investigate the role of each suspect, including the origin of the cargo, the parties who ordered the shipment, and the network behind the ketamine smuggling.
“To find, identify, and pursue the network above them — whether those who prepared it, those who ordered it, as well as the owner of the ketamine that was to be brought into Indonesia,” he explained.
Previously, a joint team intercepted the cargo vessel MV King Sun in the waters off Berakit, Bintan. The operation was the result of lengthy surveillance since February 2026 after authorities received information about unusual activity from a vessel moving from the Thailand area.
After a pursuit and search, officers discovered a ketamine cargo weighing 1.3 tonnes. The evidence was found after officers conducted an inspection and investigation of the vessel. A total of 65 sacks containing dozens of packages of ketamine were found on board the ship.