Authorities uncover Indonesia's first-ever clandestine lab producing DMT
The raid which took place in Gianyar, Bali led to the arrest of three Filipinos and the ongoing search for a Jordanian national
On July 18, 2024, Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (Badan Narkotika Nasional/BNN) conducted a raid on a secret laboratory in Bali, where dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a hallucinogenic drug, was being produced.
According to BNN, this is the first time in Indonesia that a hidden lab making Class I narcotics, like N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), has been uncovered.
BNN's law enforcement deputy, Insp Gen I Wayan Sugiri, mentioned in a press conference that the operation led to the arrest of three Filipinos, identified as DAS, a 28-year-old man, and his mother and sister, PMS and DOS, respectively.
A Jordanian national, initials AMI, is still being sought by authorities.
The lab was found in a tarpaulin tent in the front yard of a rented villa in Keliki Kawan village, Gianyar district. Inside, officers discovered chemical substances and lab equipment, including measuring glasses, beaker glasses, and a magnetic stirrer, along with a plastic container of clear liquid containing DMT.
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According to the Head of the BNN Public Relations and Protocol Bureau, Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono, the lab was discovered following BNN's cyber patrols that traced online drug distribution to Bali.
DAS faces charges under Articles 114 (2), 113 (2), and 112 (2) of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, carrying the possibility of the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Previously in May, authorities confiscated at least 10 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana, 684 grams of mephedrone, and 107 grams of cocaine from another secret drug lab in Bali.
BNN Head Commissioner General Marthinus Hukom stated, "These findings must not be undermined as they have sounded the alarm bell for Bali and other regions in Indonesia as well because international drug syndicates could also target them as places of clandestine labs."
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The drug trade in Indonesia is estimated to be worth around US$4,4 billion (IDR 66 trillion). A survey by BNN and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia/LIPI) found 3,4 million drug users in Indonesia, with 180 out of every 10,000 Indonesians aged 15 to 64 affected by addiction.
Via Tempo & ANTARA
Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.
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