TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Inspector General Krishna Murti, Head of the Indonesian National Police’s Division of International Relations, suspects that international drug syndicates are operating recruitment networks across major cities in Indonesia. These networks, he noted, are involved in enlisting individuals to traffic illegal substances across borders.
“There is a recruitment network in Indonesia itself, especially in big cities and vulnerable areas,” said Krishna when contacted by Tempo on Monday, June 2, 2025.
According to Krishna, one reason Indonesian nationals are frequently targeted by these syndicates is their perceived compliance and lack of suspicion. Many are also easily enticed by financial incentives and promises of employment abroad.
He explained that overseas, Indonesians are often offered roles as drug couriers, with payments ranging from Rp10 million to Rp100 million, depending on the level of risk and the destination country. The financial struggles faced by many Indonesians, he added, make them more vulnerable to these offers.
In addition to economic hardship, Krishna emphasized that low educational backgrounds and limited awareness about the severe legal consequences of drug trafficking further increase the risk. He also pointed out that not all are willing participants, some fall victim to deception.
“They are deceived that the items are important documents or family medicine,” he said, referring to a common tactic known as the “deposit scheme.”
In a separate case, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) recently identified the alleged mastermind behind the smuggling of two tons of crystal meth off the coast of the Riau Islands.
Commissioner General Marthinus Hukom, head of BNN, stated that Dewi Astutik (a former Indonesian Migrant Worker (PMI) in Taiwan in 2011) is believed to be a central figure in a Southeast Asian drug syndicate.
Dewi reportedly operates out of the Golden Triangle region, a notorious drug trafficking hub spanning Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, and is linked to a network originating from Africa.
“It is very possible that the people captured in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, were previously part of her syndicate,” Marthinus said during a press conference in Batam on May 28, 2025.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs flagged drug offenses as the most common legal issue faced by Indonesians overseas. Judha Nugraha, Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection at the Ministry, reported that as of January 2025, 157 Indonesians were at risk of receiving the death penalty abroad.
“The majority are in Malaysia due to drug trafficking cases,” said Judha on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.
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