Malaysian-registered vessel intercepted with over a tonne of ketamine in the Andaman Sea
Indonesian authorities seized a Mongolian-flagged ship carrying 1.16 tonnes of ketamine that had been transferred at sea from a foreign mothership to the Malaysian vessel MT Global 168.
Indonesian law-enforcement agencies intercepted the Mongolian-flagged MT Global 168 in waters near Tanjung Balai Asahan, finding 58 sacks that total 1.16 tonnes of ketamine hydrochloride. The drugs were loaded onto the Malaysian-registered vessel via a ship-to-ship transfer in the Andaman Sea, a method often used to evade port inspections. Bukit Aman’s Narcotics Crime Investigation Department identified the foreign mothership as probably registered in a Golden Triangle country.
The vessel had departed Pasir Gudang, refuelled at Port Klang, and displayed irregular AIS activity before disappearing for three days. Authorities are pursuing the case under Section 34 of the Dangerous Drugs Act to determine any Malaysian involvement, and the two Malaysian directors of the owning company will be summoned for questioning.
Why it matters
The case highlights how transnational drug networks exploit maritime routes to move large quantities of illicit substances.
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