Mystery Surrounding Death of Drug Lord Following Arrest: 7 South Sulawesi Police Members Under Investigation by Propam

The death of a drug lord, identified by the initials R, following his arrest by the police, has led to an internal investigation. Seven members of the South Sulawesi Regional Police (Sulsel) Narcotics Investigation Directorate are currently being questioned by Propam to investigate the arrest process and the handling of R before his passing.

R was a drug recidivist who was shot in the leg during an attempt to apprehend him in Bulukumba Regency. After receiving medical treatment, his condition had stabilised, and he was still able to communicate with the officers guarding him.

The Director of Narcotics Investigation at the South Sulawesi Regional Police, Commissioner Sugeng Sudarso, stated that the Propam investigation is being conducted to ensure that all actions taken by the officers complied with established procedures.

“They are currently undergoing examination by the South Sulawesi Regional Police Propam,” he said on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.

According to Sugeng, the investigation also aims to ascertain the exact sequence of R’s arrest and to ensure transparency in the handling of the case. “This is to ensure that all arrest procedures were carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOP),” he added.

R’s condition was initially declared stable after receiving medical attention. There were no signs of critical condition while he was still communicating with the officers.

However, the situation changed in the early hours of the morning. R reportedly suffered sudden seizures before being pronounced dead.

“He was still speaking with our team, but then in the morning, around 04:00 WITA, our monitoring officers noted he was having seizures. He was subsequently pronounced dead at approximately 07:10 WITA,” he explained.

Sugeng denied that R’s death was caused by physical abuse. He stated that the injuries sustained by R resulted from the disabling shot fired during the arrest process.

“It was not due to physical abuse, but purely the result of the disabling gunshot wound and impacts sustained during the confrontation with officers,” he said.

R had been hunted by the police since mid-September as part of an expansion of a drug case involving several individuals within his network.

During this investigation, police first arrested three of R’s associates. The investigation subsequently expanded to secure lower-level members of the network and resulted in the seizure of 150 grams of methamphetamine (shabu).

“During the arrest, we managed to apprehend three of his associates who were with him. Subsequent developments led to the arrest of further members of the network,” he said.

R’s whereabouts were finally detected on the roadside in Bulukumba Regency. During the attempted arrest, R reportedly fled towards the forest after his motorcycle ran out of fuel.