Frans Exchanged Rupiah to SGD Before Sending Funds to Drug Lord Fredy in Thailand
The Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Indonesian National Police has uncovered the method used to transfer proceeds from drug sales, orchestrated by Frans Antony, a subordinate of drug lord Fredy Pratama. Police stated that Frans would first exchange rupiah into Singapore dollars (SGD) before sending the money to Fredy in Thailand.
“The main modus operandi used is exchanging money from narcotics crimes, specifically in USD 1,000 denominations, at various money changers across Indonesia. The money from drug sales is then collected and transported directly by Frans Antony,” said Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, Director of Drug Crimes at Bareskrim Polri, on Saturday (20/6/2026).
Eko explained that this method was used by Frans to disguise the origin of the illicit funds. “This method became the main loophole exploited to break up and conceal the origin of the dirty money before it was sent abroad,” he clarified.
Eko stated that Frans had been carrying out the transport of drug money from Indonesia to Thailand for seven years. In a single trip, the amount carried could reach Rp 1 billion.
“Frans Antony’s activity of transporting crime proceeds from Indonesia to Thailand lasted for approximately seven years, from 2017 to 2023, with a minimum value of Rp 1 billion per transport,” Eko revealed.
He explained that during this period, the frequency of shipments could be two to three times per month. In total, the frequency of transport reached approximately 168 times over the period.
“This massive activity shows that the syndicate operated systematically without detection for a very long time,” he said.
Frans himself acted as the treasurer for Fredy Pratama, entrusted with controlling the money from drug sales. He was also responsible for controlling the distribution of narcotics within Indonesia.
Frans Antony and Fredy Pratama were high school friends in South Kalimantan. Fredy Pratama started his illicit business in Malang, East Java.
Frans Antony is currently at the Bareskrim Polri building in Jakarta after being arrested and flown in from Malaysia. He is undergoing further examination, while Fredy remains a fugitive.