Fugitive in 11kg Methamphetamine Case Arrested, Admits Working for Inmate at Dumai Prison

JAKARTA - The National Police’s Narcotics Crime Directorate (Bareskrim) arrested fugitive Muhammad Zaki in connection with an 11kg methamphetamine trafficking case at a hotel in Dumai, Riau.

Preliminary interrogations revealed Zaki claimed to have started working for inmate Ramzi, detained at Dumai Prison since 2025.

Director of the Narcotics Crime Directorate Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso stated on Thursday (28 May 2026): ‘According to Muhammad Zaki’s testimony, he began working for inmate Ramzi at Dumai Prison in 2025.’

Zaki was apprehended by the Subdirectorate IV team of Bareskrim’s Narcotics Crime Directorate on Sunday (24 May 2026) at around 22:30 WIB at a hotel on Jenderal Sudirman Street, Dumai City, Riau.

The arrest followed a tip-off from the public regarding Zaki’s whereabouts, listed as a person of interest.

A team led by Subdirector IV of Bareskrim’s Narcotics Crime Directorate, Komisaris Besar Handik Zusen, conducted surveillance on Zaki’s movements.

On Sunday afternoon, police received information that Zaki was in Nyerih Village, Rupat Utara District, Bengkalis Regency, and was heading towards the RoRo Rupat-Dumai ferry terminal.

The team followed Zaki to the hotel and confirmed his location in room 302.

Although no narcotics were found during the search, police believe Zaki was part of an international drug trafficking network.

During interrogation, Zaki confessed to first receiving work from Ramzi in February 2025 to deliver five kilograms of methamphetamine.

The illegal drugs were allegedly obtained from a person named Iyung, who acted as a tekong, then collected by Ruslan.

‘From this job, Muhammad Zaki received a payment of Rp5 million transferred via Ramzi’s nephew named Asrul and later given in cash,’ Eko explained.

Subsequently in May 2025, Zaki was contacted by Ramzi via WhatsApp to find someone to collect narcotics in Malacca and transport them to Rupat Island.