Rising ketamine abuse and a series of major drug seizures in Indonesia have fuelled calls for tighter controls on the substance, but a proposed reclassification has raised concerns that tougher penalties could further strain the country’s overcrowded prisons.
Last week, Indonesian police and customs officials intercepted the Mongolian-flagged vessel MT Global 168 in the Malacca Strait, seizing 1.16 tonnes of ketamine hydrochloride packed in 58 sacks. National police chief Suyudi Ario Seto said the vessel was owned by a company based in Malaysia’s Johor Bahru.
The illegal cargo was worth 3.48 trillion rupiah (US$192 million), Suyudi said, adding that the crew of seven Indonesians and one Chinese national had been detained.