Kompolnas Suspects Katingan Police Officers Were Murdered by Drug Suspects

The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) suspects three members of the Katingan Police in Central Kalimantan died after being murdered by alleged drug offenders during a narcotics case disclosure operation. Kompolnas Commissioner Supardi Hamid, in a video statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday, said he and fellow Commissioner Choirul Anam had inspected the crime scene. There, he found a trail of blood leading to the river. According to him, this finding refutes the suspicion that the victims died from drowning in the river. He suspects the victims were killed first before being thrown into the water. “This means it clearly falls into the category of intentionally killing, carried out by these drug dealers to finish off the police officers and then dump them into the river,” he said. It is known that three Katingan Police officers died during an operation to eradicate drug trafficking in Tumbang Kalemei Village, Katingan Tengah District, Katingan Regency, Central Kalimantan. The three received extraordinary posthumous promotions: Ipda (Posthumous) Sumariyanto, Aiptu (Posthumous) Yudhie Perdana Putra, and Briptu (Posthumous) Nopandri Ramadhana. The incident began on Wednesday (1/7) after the Katingan Police Narcotics Unit received a public report regarding the alleged circulation of methamphetamine in the village. The investigation led to a suspect with the initials BIO, a repeat offender in narcotics cases. Despite firing warning shots, the attack continued, forcing officers to take measured action to protect personnel safety. The situation became increasingly volatile when the suspect’s family and a number of residents allegedly joined the attack on officers using sharp weapons, homemade firearms, and various dangerous objects. The Narcotics Unit team then attempted to rescue themselves while requesting backup from Katingan Police and Central Katingan Police Sector personnel. During the evacuation process, nine personnel were successfully rescued, while three Indonesian National Police members died in the line of duty.