Sahroni Praises BNN for Busting 1.3-Ton Ketamine Smuggling Operation: 'Horrifying'

Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Commission III, Ahmad Sahroni, has praised the swift and firm action of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) alongside the Criminal Investigation Department of the Indonesian National Police, the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, and the Indonesian Navy for foiling the smuggling of 1,298 kilogrammes, or nearly 1.3 tonnes, of ketamine in the waters of the Riau Islands. He described the substance as horrifying for the younger generation.

‘I give the highest appreciation to the Head of BNN, the National Police, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and Customs for their excellent cooperation in carrying out this drug seizure operation of an extraordinary scale. This is a form of excellent collaboration and we hope it will continue in the future to reduce drug trafficking in society and to save the future of our young generation,’ Sahroni said when contacted on Tuesday (11/8/2026).

He then discussed the presence of ketamine in vapes, calling the substance dangerous because it is difficult to detect. ‘Regarding vapes containing narcotics, this is indeed horrifying because now illegal drugs come in various types and forms. That is why, from the beginning, I have pushed for vapes to be completely banned, for the sake of our children,’ he stated.

The Treasurer of the NasDem Party also urged the BNN and other law enforcement agencies to continue conducting such operations. He believes these efforts will make it harder for parties to distribute ketamine. ‘Continue to carry out operations so that it becomes difficult for them to transact and to prevent the circulation of narcotics through law enforcement operations,’ he said. ‘Generally, narcotics are difficult to eliminate, but at least through these operations, the circulation can be reduced, especially narcotics in vapes. If vapes can be banned, it will further decrease the circulation,’ he added.

Previously, the joint team uncovered the smuggling on Friday (7/8). During the operation, officers arrested eight crew members aboard a vessel. The suspects include a Taiwanese national with the initials TSM (43) and seven Myanmar nationals identified as KH (29), MML (36), ML (55), PL (27), TA (51), ZO (38), and MML (44). The perpetrators hid the illicit goods in a hidden compartment near the ship’s bridge. Officers seized 65 sacks containing 1,300 Chinese tea packets with a total weight of approximately 1.3 tonnes. Testing using a Rigaku device confirmed that all samples tested positive for ketamine.