Police foil 67 kg drug smuggling in Port of Merak during Eid travel

“The operations were conducted to ensure public security and order during the Eid al-Fitr homecoming period,” Banten Police Chief Inspector General Hengki stated here on Wednesday.

The first two smuggling attempts were foiled on March 8 and 12, when a total of 15 kg of meth and a firearm were seized from two different perpetrators arriving by foot at the executive terminal of the port, which connects Java and Sumatra.

The perpetrators were believed to have attempted to exploit the heavy traffic of travelers at the port during the Eid period to mislead the officers. However, their attempts were foiled as security officers discovered the contraband during an X-ray inspection.

The third attempt was foiled on March 18, with officers seizing 52 kg of meth smuggled in a minibus arriving from Sumatra.

From the cases, the police have named three suspects, all of whom were suspected of being part of inter-island drug syndicate networks, he said.

“The illegal firearm case will be investigated by the General Crimes Investigation Agency, while the smuggling of 67 kg of methamphetamine will be handled by the Drug Crimes Investigation Agency,” Inspector General Hengki added.

According to Banten Police records, a total of 35 drug-related cases have been uncovered in the January-February 2026 period, with 54 suspects arrested by the law enforcement agency.

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Translator: Desi Purnama Sari, Nabil Ihsan