Three Police Officers Killed During Drug Raid in Central Kalimantan
A drug trafficking arrest operation in Tumbang Kalemei Village, Katingan Tengah District, Central Kalimantan, ended in tragedy. Three police officers were killed after being attacked by a suspected drug dealer and his accomplices during the raid.
The raid, which resulted in the deaths of the three officers, occurred on Wednesday, 1 July, at approximately 01.00 WIB. At that time, 12 personnel from the Katingan Police Narcotics Unit, led by Unit Head AKP Affan Effendi, were conducting an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in the village.
The team was divided into two groups. Team 1 approached the target’s house, while Team 2 stood by near a junior high school not far from the location. When officers arrived and identified themselves at the house, the team managed to secure the target. However, a man suddenly appeared wielding a machete and attacked the police, but was subdued at the time.
Shortly afterwards, two more men armed with machetes emerged and attacked Narcotics Unit Head AKP Affan. Seeing this, Aiptu Sumaryanto fired a warning shot, but the perpetrators ignored it, forcing officers to fire additional shots. The suspected perpetrators’ family members also provoked local residents, leading to a mob attack against the police.
The resistance resulted in the reported death of officer Aiptu Anumerta Yudhi. Two other officers, Bripda Nopandri and Aipda Sumaryanto, were initially reported missing.
Central Kalimantan Police Narcotics Director, Senior Commissioner Slamet Ady, confirmed the incident, stating that authorities were still pursuing the perpetrators. He also confirmed that two of his personnel were missing following the event.
A search was subsequently launched for the two missing officers. Bripda Nopandri was found deceased. The National Police Criminal Investigation Agency’s Narcotics Director, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, expressed his deepest condolences to the family of Bripda Nopandri, stating that the officer died in the line of duty. He emphasised that the incident was being taken seriously and that a joint team was working to fully investigate the case. He vowed that the pursuit of the suspects would not stop until all perpetrators were arrested and processed according to the law.
Shortly after, Aiptu Sumaryanto, who had also been missing, was found dead in a river. His body was discovered in the river in Tumbang Kalemei Village during a search operation conducted between 06.00 and 09.30 WIB. The search team comprised personnel from the Central Kalimantan Police, Kodim 1019/Ktg, Basarnas, and local residents. The search utilised three rubber boats and eight small motorised canoes to comb the river and the forests along the riverbank, extending to the Samba Village market. The body was transported by ambulance to Bhayangkara Hospital in Palangka Raya.