Former North Toraja Narcotics Chief Received Weekly Payments of 10 Million Rupiah from Drug Dealers

An ethics hearing conducted by the Police Ethics Code Commission (KKEP) of the South Sulawesi Regional Police Command revealed that two members of the North Toraja Police District were found to have received proceeds from narcotics sales. AKP AE, serving as narcotics chief, and Aiptu N were proven to have collectively received 110 million rupiah in payments.

“The fact is, we received payments over 11 weeks totalling 110 million rupiah, plus the initial funds from the drug dealer that were returned to him. This aligns with the evidence we gathered during the hearing,” stated Kombes Pol Zulham Effendy, chairman of the South Sulawesi Regional Police Ethics Commission, at South Sulawesi Police Headquarters in Makassar on Tuesday.

Despite both officers—AKP AE (Arifan Efendi) and Aiptu N (Nasrul)—having been dismissed without honour, authorities remain committed to further investigation and development of the case. According to statements taken from the apprehended drug dealer, the payments of 10 million rupiah per week were transferred between October and December 2025, through either bank transfer or cash.

“We will continue investigating if there are any other indications, including possible rivalry between dealers or other matters. We have already coordinated with the Narcotics Directorate of the South Sulawesi Regional Police Command,” the head of the Professional Standards Division of the South Sulawesi Regional Police Command emphasised.

Regarding whether the bribe payments were ordered or merely the personal initiative of the officers involved, the head clarified that there were no orders given—the actions were entirely voluntary.

“Everything was their own initiative. That is why we established that this was their own volition. Initially, the narcotics chief’s use of one drug dealer as an informant was appropriate,” he stated.

“However, because he was functioning as an informant, what should have followed was that any arrests would become a credit for the North Toraja Narcotics Unit. Instead, the transactional nature of the arrangement resulted in violations of the code of ethics and other breaches,” he added.

During the ethics hearing, several witnesses were presented. Three alleged drug dealers held in Tana Toraja Police custody testified, two alleged dealers from the North Toraja Police provided statements, along with four police officers and the wife of the dismissed officer AKP AE.