Law Enforcement Cooperation Leads to Indonesia’s Largest Drug Seizure

Jakarta (Indonesia), 17 June 2025 – Two tonnes of methamphetamine, Indonesia’s biggest bust to date, have been seized through a joint operation led by Indonesia’s National Drug Agency (BNN), the Indonesian Navy, and Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai). The five-month operation ended when officials boarded and seized the Dragon Tawara ship, carrying the methamphetamine originating from the Golden Triangle region, with an estimated street value between US$200 and 400 million.  

This is the biggest seizure of methamphetamine in Indonesia’s history. Six crew members were arrested, and officials were able to identify the mastermind behind the smuggling operation. The recent success follows a series of similar drug seizures in Indonesian waters by the Navy, and Customs and Excise.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been training Indonesian maritime law enforcement agencies on case investigation and marine device forensics. UNODC has also helped enhance cooperation between the country’s drug enforcement and maritime law enforcement agencies, through the implementation of Indonesia Drugs-Maritime Exchanges, the fifth of which took place in 2023 in Bogor, West Java.

“The success of this joint operation underscores the vital importance of inter-agency cooperation in combating organized crime,” said Erik van der Veen, Head of Office of UNODC Indonesia.

Agencies participating in these Exchanges share information on the modus operandi of maritime drug smuggling and present challenges and experiences in the field. They also build longer-term networks for intelligence exchange between different agencies. As a result, active information and intelligence sharing feeds into joint operations, such as the one resulting in this most recent seizure.

“The case also shows the increasing impact of the expanding synthetic drug production in the Golden Triangle and the growing importance of Indonesia as a target in the regional methamphetamine trade,” continued Erik van der Veen. “We commend BNN and its partners for this successful operation. We may continue seeing big seizures like this in the future.”

UNODC’s most recent report on the synthetic drug situation in East and Southeast Asia highlighted a surge in methamphetamine seizures across the region, and confirmed a trend towards larger shipments especially along maritime trafficking routes. The report also noted the growing connectivity of land and sea-based trafficking routes through the Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, with Indonesia serving both as a target market and transshipment point.

Click here to access our latest report on Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia.