Financial Controller of Fredy Pratama Network Arrested in Malaysia After Two Years on the Run

The Directorate of Narcotics Crime (Dittipidnarkoba) of the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) has successfully ended the flight of Frans Antoni, a key figure who controlled the finances of the international narcotics network led by Fredy Pratama. Frans had been on the wanted list (DPO) since November 2023.

Director of Narcotics Crime at Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, confirmed that Frans Antoni was arrested in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday morning (18/6), after previously moving between hiding places in Thailand.

Based on the investigation, Frans Antoni was officially declared a fugitive on 12 November 2023 in connection with a money laundering case (TPPU). During his time on the run, he was detected residing in Thailand with the full support of Fredy Pratama’s network. “The suspect initially lived in Phattanakan, an elite area in Bangkok, before eventually settling in the Narasiri area for nearly two years,” said Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso in Jakarta on Friday (19/6).

While in Thailand, Frans was assisted by a local citizen acting on Fredy Pratama’s orders to conceal his whereabouts and facilitate his logistical needs. His attempt to flee ended when he tried to enter Malaysian territory illegally. The arrest was carried out by a delegation team from the Indonesian National Police, consisting of the Narcotics Crime Directorate and the International Relations Division, at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (18/6) at 7.30 am local time.

Following cross-border coordination, Frans was flown to Indonesia on Friday afternoon. He arrived at the Bareskrim Polri building in Jakarta at 3.28 pm Western Indonesian Time to undergo further legal proceedings. Investigators will conduct intensive examinations to trace the flow of funds and the money laundering schemes Frans Antoni used to support the operations of Fredy Pratama’s network.

Fredy Pratama himself is a transnational narcotics kingpin from Indonesia who remains a primary target for the Indonesian National Police. He is known to control large-scale drug trafficking within the country from his base in Thailand. The arrest of Frans Antoni is expected to serve as a strategic entry point for the police to sever the network’s funding chain and restrict Fredy Pratama’s room for manoeuvre abroad.