Indonesian police seize over a ton of ketamine and arrest crew on cargo vessel

After weeks of monitoring that began on October 14, Indonesian forces boarded a cargo ship as it entered Tanjung Balai waters, seizing 58 sacks containing 1.16 gross tons of ketamine. General Suyudi Ario Seto announced that eight crew members—seven Indonesians and one Taiwanese—were arrested and the vessel itself was seized. The ship had displayed conflicting automatic identification system signals, listing both MT Global 168 and “Gross Dolphin,” and had moved from Malaysia’s Port Klang through the Malacca Strait toward Aceh before interception.

A joint task force comprising the Water Police Corps, Criminal Investigation Agency, North Sumatra Police, Customs Agency and the National Narcotics Agency carried out the raid on October 19. Officials said the bust blocks the drug from reaching an estimated 5.8 million people at risk of ketamine abuse. The operation highlights Indonesia’s intensified crackdown on large-scale narcotics trafficking in the region.