Police Uncover 6.8kg of Marijuana in Padangsidimpuan Prison, Four Suspects Arrested

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Alleged drug trafficking from within the prison walls has resurfaced. During a large-scale joint operation, officers discovered at least 6.8 kilograms of marijuana hidden in the Padangsidimpuan Class IIB Prison, North Sumatra.

The case was disclosed by Padangsidimpuan Police Chief AKB Wira Prayatna during a press conference at the Polres Padangsidimpuan Pratidina Hall on Monday, June 1. Preliminary investigations have led to four suspects being named: ZH (34), AH (46), FT (32), and AR (45).

Police Chief Wira explained that the discovery began with a joint operation conducted on Friday, May 29, around 8:30 PM WIB. The operation involved the military (TNI), police (Polri), local government, and prison officials.

Initially, officers searched Blocks E and F, comprising 20 living quarters, where they found various drug paraphernalia and illegal communication devices. However, the search was expanded to the maximum security block.

‘Unexpectedly, near the prison’s electrical installation, officers found a white sack containing two marijuana balls and a red plastic bag with four more,’ said Wira.

The total seized marijuana amounted to 6,800 grams. The case has been officially recorded in Police Report No. LP/A/48/V/2026/SPKT Unit Resnarkoba of Padangsidimpuan Police.

Wira stressed that this success was due to inter-agency collaboration in combating narcotics, emphasising that prisons must not serve as safe havens for drug trafficking networks.

Investigators are currently tracing how the large quantity of marijuana entered the prison, with police not ruling out additional suspects or potential involvement of other parties in a wider network.

The discovery serves as a stark warning for prison security systems, given that the drugs were found in technical areas like electrical installations, which should be under strict surveillance by security personnel.