Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The West Jakarta Police have arrested six suspected drug traffickers and seized 14 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth Rp16 billion smuggled into Indonesia from China.

"The officers arrested the six suspects from different locations in West, East, and North Jakarta municipalities," Deputy Chief of the West Jakarta Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner M. Irsan noted here on Monday evening.

The six suspects, believed to be the members of an international drug syndicate, were known by their initials RS (24), Her (35), J (37), I (38), HDT (49), and RN (43).

The suspects smuggled the methamphetamine, concealed in instant coffee packages, into the eastern Indonesian region through means of land transportation.

Irsan said they had been selling drugs in Jakarta and its surrounding areas since the last two years.

In the meantime, Indonesian authorities have been grappling with the recent influx of illicit drugs, particularly crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy exported by illicit drug syndicates in Guangzhou, China, into Indonesia.

Chief of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Anang Iskandar confirmed that Indonesia has become an important route and market for international drug syndicates in Asia.

"One of the biggest illicit drug producers is Guangzhou in the province of Guangdong, China," Iskandar stated.

The BNN has identified routes covering China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Western Africa taken by international drug syndicates, he added.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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