Methamphetamine Trafficker in West Bandung Uses Snails as Distribution Concealment

BANDUNG BARAT – A 27-year-old man identified as RPA from Wangunsari Village, Lembang District, West Bandung Regency (KBB), West Java, has been arrested for distributing methamphetamine using an ingenious but illegal concealment method. The suspect had been using hollowed-out snail shells (tutut) as a vehicle for distributing methamphetamine in an attempt to evade police detection.

The modus operandi came to light when the Cimahi Police Narcotics Unit uncovered the scheme. According to the suspect, he had been engaged in this illegal drug distribution operation for three months.

“We apprehended a young man from Lembang who was distributing methamphetamine, but he concealed it inside snail shells,” said Cimahi Police Chief AKBP Niko Nurallah Adi Putra during a press statement at Cimahi Police Headquarters on Wednesday (25 February 2026).

During the arrest, police seized 2.08 grams of methamphetamine and several snail shells. According to investigators, the suspect would collect snail shells from rice fields near his residence, hollow them out, and fill them with methamphetamine wrapped in plastic.

“He would first collect the snails from the rice fields, then empty them and insert the methamphetamine, which was already wrapped in plastic,” Niko explained.