Police Reveal Frans Sent Money to Fredy Pratama 168 Times, Minimum Rp1 Billion Each

Police have revealed the amount of money given by Frans Antoni, the treasurer for drug lord Fredy Pratama’s network, over a seven-year period from 2017 to 2023. The Director of Narcotics Crime at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri), Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, stated that during this period, Frans sent money 168 times, with each transfer amounting to at least Rp1 billion.

“Frans Antony carried out the transportation of criminal proceeds from Indonesia to Thailand for approximately seven years, from 2017 to 2023,” Eko said, as quoted from Detik.com on Saturday (20/6).

According to Eko, Frans could make two to three transfers to Fredy each month. The method involved first exchanging rupiah into Singapore dollars (SGD) before sending it to Fredy in Thailand. “The proceeds from narcotics sales were then collected and transported directly by Frans Antony,” Eko said.

This method was used to break up or disguise transactions from their illicit drug business. “The main method used was exchanging the proceeds of narcotics crime, specifically in 1,000 Singapore dollar denominations, at numerous money changers spread across Indonesia,” he said.

Police previously announced Frans’s arrest in Malaysia on Friday (19/6). While on the run, Frans Antoni was assisted by an associate of Fredy who is a Thai national. However, Fredy remains a fugitive and is suspected to be hiding abroad. He is said to frequently move locations, including within Thailand and Cambodia.

The figure of Fredy, also known as Miming or Cassanova, is said to wield strong influence in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Golden Triangle, which is known as one of the world’s largest narcotics trading hubs.