North Sumatra Police Foil Circulation of 35 kg of Methamphetamine in Asahan, 3 Suspects Arrested
North Sumatra Regional Police have foiled the circulation of 35 kilograms of methamphetamine in Asahan Regency. Officers seized the drugs from three suspects who are related as uncle and nephews.
Director of Drug Investigation at North Sumatra Police, Senior Commissioner Andy Arisandi, named the three suspects as Asman (43), Edo Rizki (22), and Muhammad Riski Naibaho (27). They were arrested by Sub-Directorate 3 of the Drug Investigation Directorate in the car park of a restaurant at the Hessa Perlompongan intersection, Air Batu District, Asahan Regency.
“The three suspects had different roles. Suspect Asman acted as a lookout and controller, while Edo Rizki and Muhammad Riski Naibaho drove the car carrying the methamphetamine,” Andy said on Monday (24/8).
He explained that the arrest began with a tip-off from the public about the movement of a black Toyota Raize with registration number BK 1927 ADR. The vehicle occupied by Edo and Riski Naibaho was suspected of carrying a large consignment of methamphetamine from Tanjung Balai to a meeting point in Asahan.
Following up on the information, officers moved quickly and stood by around the Gunung Sari Baru restaurant. As soon as the target vehicle was about to park at around 10.27 pm local time, the team intercepted it and apprehended the two suspects.
During a search of the vehicle, officers found two large black plastic packages containing 35 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Shortly after the arrest of his two nephews, Asman arrived at the location on a Honda ADV motorcycle with registration number BK 3188 VCI and behaved suspiciously. Officers immediately arrested the man, who works as a fisherman and lives in Sei Apung Jaya. According to Andy, Asman is a repeat offender in a drugs case who has previously served time in prison.
“In this case, he acted as the controller of the distribution,” Andy said.
Based on initial interrogation, the suspects admitted that they were transporting the dozens of kilograms of methamphetamine on the instructions of a man named Pak Lah who lives in Aceh. They stopped at the restaurant to await instructions to hand over the evidence to the buyer who was already waiting at the location.
North Sumatra Police are continuing to develop the case and are pursuing Pak Lah and the buyer, whose identities have been placed on the wanted list. The three suspects, along with the methamphetamine evidence, one car and one motorcycle, have now been secured at North Sumatra Police Headquarters.