INDONESIAN authorities have seized 1.16 tonnes of ketamine hydrochloride from a tanker that had sailed from Malaysia, detaining eight crew members and launching an investigation into a suspected international drug-smuggling operation.
The drugs were discovered aboard MT Global 168 after the vessel was brought to Belawan Port in Medan, North Sumatra, following a joint operation involving several Indonesian enforcement agencies.
Indonesia’s National Police chief, General Suyudi Ario Seto, said the tanker’s eight crew members — seven Indonesians and a Taiwanese national — had been detained.
The seizure was announced yesterday at Terminal Bandar Deli, Belawan Port, following an operation involving the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim), the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Customs and Excise, and the police’s water patrol unit.
A search of the vessel uncovered 58 green sacks containing a total of 1.16 tonnes of ketamine hydrochloride concealed in its pump room, Suyudi said.
“Alhamdulillah, today we have succeeded in arresting drug smugglers who clearly intended to destroy our country’s younger generation,” he said.
The 370-gross-tonne tanker was flying the Mongolian flag but had departed from Malaysia.
It had also previously operated under the name Tsurushio Maru No. 08.
Suyudi said authorities began tracking the vessel on Oct 14 as it sailed through waters near Malaysia before heading towards northern Aceh and Thailand.
Investigators found discrepancies in the vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS), which displayed two names — MT Global and Gross Dolphin.
The tanker’s recorded identifiers include International Maritime Organisation number 9078347, Maritime Mobile Service Identity number 457615000 and call sign JVRE8.
Suyudi said changing a vessel’s name was a tactic encountered in previous maritime drug-smuggling cases.
Investigators would examine its history to determine whether its identity had been deliberately altered to conceal illicit activities.
“Changing a vessel’s name is one of the strategies used by smugglers. Based on the various vessel seizures we have uncovered, this is something that frequently occurs,” he said.
Authorities are also examining the company listed as the tanker’s owner, Makmur Marine Petroleum, which is registered at Suite S11 and S12, Level Five, Menara TJB, Jalan Syekh Muhammad Mukti, Johor Bahru, Johor.
Suyudi said the ownership records would help investigators establish whether the company or other parties involved in operating the vessel had links to the suspected international smuggling network. - October 24, 2026