Former Bima City Police Chief Faces Life Imprisonment Over Suitcase Full of Narcotics
JAKARTA — Former Bima City Police Chief (Kapolres) in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), AKBP Didik Putra Kuncoro, faces life imprisonment or a minimum of 20 years in prison. The threat follows AKBP Didik’s designation as a suspect in a narcotics abuse case on Friday, 13 February 2026, after the investigation team from the Directorate of Narcotics Crime at the National Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) conducted a case review and approved the escalation of the drug possession case to a full investigation.
During a search of AKBP Didik Putra’s residence in the Tangerang area on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, officers from the Internal Affairs Bureau (Biro Paminal) of the Professional and Security Division (Divpropam) together with the Directorate of Narcotics Crime at Bareskrim Polri discovered various types of narcotics amounting to one suitcase. The evidence comprised 16.3 grammes of methamphetamine, 49 ecstasy tablets weighing 23.5 grammes, 19 alprazolam tablets, 2 Happy Five tablets, and 5 grammes of ketamine. Despite the quantity, Didik claimed the illicit substances were for personal consumption.
National Police spokesperson Irjen Johnny Eddizon Isir confirmed the severity of the charges, stating: “The threat is life imprisonment or a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, and/or a maximum fine of category 6 amounting to Rp2 billion.” Additionally, AKBP Didik faces a supplementary sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment and/or a category 4 fine of up to Rp200 million.
AKBP Didik has been charged under Article 609 Paragraph (2) letter a of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Law Number 1 of 2026 on Criminal Adjustment and Article 62 of Law Number 5 of 1997 on Psychotropic Substances.
The case was uncovered through the arrest of two domestic workers at the residence of Bripka IR, also known as Karol. Investigators found 30.415 grammes of methamphetamine at the police officer’s private residence. This discovery subsequently implicated another officer, AKP Malaungi (ML), who was serving as Head of the Narcotics Unit at Bima City Police. Ironically, the officer tasked with combating drugs tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine.
Didik’s involvement in the suspected narcotics abuse came to light through testimony provided by AKP Malaungi, who has also been named a suspect. Didik is further suspected of having received Rp1 billion in funds from a drug dealer named Koko Erwin.
Beyond the criminal proceedings, AKBP Didik is also set to face an internal police ethics hearing scheduled for Thursday, 19 February 2026, at the Professional and Security Division of the National Police. Although he has been designated a suspect, Didik has not yet been detained and is currently under special placement (Patsus) pending the ethics proceedings.
The Chairman of Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR), Habiburokhman, argued that stricter action must be taken against AKBP Didik Putra Kuncoro. He stated that the sentence for the former Bima City police chief should be heavier than that for civilian offenders. “If he is ultimately found guilty of a criminal offence, then the former Bima police chief should receive a heavier sentence than the average sentence given to criminal offenders who are not members of the police,” Habiburokhman said on Monday, 16 February 2026.
The case has drawn significant public attention as it involves a mid-ranking police officer who was supposed to be at the forefront of the war on drugs but is instead alleged to have been deeply involved in the narcotics trade.