Police Uncover Drug Network in Bengkalis Controlled by Prison Inmate

The Directorate of Narcotics Crime at Bareskrim Polri has uncovered a drug trafficking ring in Bengkalis Regency, Riau, and arrested a courier identified as M Syahril (30). Investigations revealed that the operation was controlled by a prison inmate at the Bengkalis Correctional Facility named Safrizal, also known as Saf or Omo.

Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, Director of Narcotics Crime at Bareskrim Polri, stated that M Syahril confessed to being contacted by the inmate Safrizal on Thursday, 2 July, and offered a job to transport narcotics from Bengkalis Island to the Pangkalan Kerinci area. Syahril was promised a payment of Rp 110 million and had already received an operational fund of Rp 5 million via a DANA account transfer.

Prior to his arrest, Syahril was contacted by an individual named Rendy (currently a fugitive) on Sunday, 5 July, to collect the illicit goods. The drugs were brought in by a sea courier from Malaysia. Following this information, a joint team from Sub-Directorate IV of the Narcotics Crime Directorate and the NIC Task Force conducted a raid and arrested M Syahril on Jalan Utama Ketam, Kelemantan Village, Bengkalis District, on the morning of Sunday, 5 July.

During a search of the suspect’s belongings, the team seized evidence including methamphetamine with a total gross weight of 10,861 grams, ketamine with a gross weight of 858 grams, MDMA with a gross weight of 472 grams, and 496 cartridges containing etomidate.