History of Drug Cases in Kampung Bahari, Called a 'Nest' Since 2013

Kampung Bahari in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, has returned to the spotlight after authorities conducted an enforcement operation against a narcotics network in August 2026. The area, situated along a railway line not far from Tanjung Priok Port, has long been associated with drug trafficking.

The latest raid was carried out by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) together with the North Jakarta BNN and police. The operation was linked to the pursuit of MR, also known as Bos Gendut, a fugitive in a drug case said to have connections to a narcotics network in Kampung Bahari.

Brigadier General Roy Hardy Siahaan, BNN’s Director of Enforcement and Pursuit, stated that MR’s arrest took place on Wednesday evening, 12 August 2026. During the operation, officers faced resistance from a number of residents and loyalists of the suspect. One police officer was reported to have sustained an injury below the eye.

Officers also discovered a number of pieces of evidence, including narcotics, sharp weapons, a firearm along with ammunition, mobile phones, vehicles, and a large amount of cash.

‘One of the drug kingpins is a fugitive linked to a narcotics case from 7 November 2025. He is identified as MR, also known as Bos Gendut,’ Roy stated at the North Jakarta BNN office on Thursday, 13 August 2026.

MR was reportedly arrested in connection with the possession of 98 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine. He was also a fugitive in a money laundering case. In addition to MR, officers detained three other individuals suspected of acting as dealers.

The spotlight on Kampung Bahari is not a new phenomenon. Reports about the area have existed since the 1990s, but drug cases began to surface more prominently in 2013. Several news reports documented the arrest of two Kampung Bahari residents, identified by the initials JN and HR, in November 2013 for distributing marijuana.

The two admitted to selling drugs to various groups of workers in the Tanjung Priok area, including ship crew members, fishermen, and daily labourers. The drugs were reportedly sourced from several regions, including Cianjur and Sumatra. This incident became one of the early points that drew increased attention from authorities to suspected drug activity in the Kampung Bahari area, and raids have continued in the years since.